Department of Juvenile Justice Strengthens Oversight; News Roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Department of Juvenile Justice Strengthens Oversight (PNJ.com)
  In the wake of allegations of abuse by staffers at a girls’ lockup in Milton, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice is tightening its oversight of private residential facilities — adding interviews with youths and a partnership with the nonprofit Annie E. Casey Foundation to its monitoring procedures.
• Nebraska Chief Justice: Guardianship, Juvenile Probation Initiatives Show Success (Omaha.com)
  Tighter court oversight of guardians and conservators in recent months has exposed cases of theft and misuse of funds, Nebraska's top judge said Thursday. Chief Justice Michael Heavican said changes to state law made in 2011 are providing more protection for vulnerable adults in Nebraska.
• Georgia Governor: $5 Million for New Juvenile Diversions (JJIE.org)
  Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is asking the state legislature to spend $5 million dollars to set up community diversion programs for low-risk youth offenders, on the model of other states. The appropriation would “create an incentive funding program” to encourage communities to treat appropriate youth at home, Deal told lawmakers at his annual State of the State address on Jan. 17.
• Florida Tightening Juvenile Justice Monitoring (WCTV.tv)
  Florida is tightening monitoring and improving the quality of juvenile justice residential and detention facilities. Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Wansley Walters announced the new efforts on Friday. They come nearly a month after a privately owned facility for girls in the Florida Panhandle agreed to end its contract following the arrest of a staff member who was accused of battering a 15-year-old inmate.
• Study: Minority Youth in Wash. Arrested, Referred to Juvenile Court More Often than Whites (TheRepublic.com)
  Minority youth are arrested and in the Washington state's court system more often than their white counterparts, a recent study commissioned by the state Supreme Court shows. But researchers said counties aren't keeping complete data on ethnicity and the gap between minority and while youth is larger.
• Palm Beach County School, Justice Officials Warn Students Juvenile Crimes can Follow, Hinder Them as Adults (The Palm Beach Post)
  Sometimes, Sonya Saucedo gets mad. It happens: She’s 13 years old. But Saucedo said she worries sometimes about where that anger and frustration will lead her. “I’ve gotten in trouble at school a few times,” the Pahokee Middle School student said. “I once screamed at everyone in class and threw books.” So on Thursday morning, Saucedo tentatively approached the microphone at a school assembly to ask one question: How hard is it to get your life back after you’ve committed a crime?

Jobs, Grants, Events and Webinars

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Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment and Mental Health

• Military Deployment Increases Risk of Substance Abuse in Young Family Members (Drugfree.org)
  Having a parent or sibling who has been deployed in the military increases the risk of drug and alcohol use among middle and high school students, a new study finds.
• Infant Mental Health Professional Development (Zero to Three)
  Over the past 30 years, the field of infant mental health has evlovled exponentially. In the past few years, the field has made great policy gains such as the increased federal funding to support early learning programs, federal funding for home visiting, and other policy efforts that support young children's healthy development. 
• Access to Health Care Services for Addiction Will Improve Dramatically: Faces & Voices of Recovery (Drugfree.org)
  Once the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is fully implemented in 2014, access to effective health care services for addiction will improve dramatically, according to Faces & Voices of Recovery. In an issue brief, the advocacy group describes how the new legislation will make it possible for many in or seeking recovery to be included in the health care system for the first time.
• Neb. Lawmakers say Juvenile Justice System should Focus on Mental Health and Rehabilitation (TheRepublic.com)
  Four Nebraska lawmakers announced a proposal Wednesday to overhaul the state's juvenile justice system and focus on youth mental health. Omaha state Sen. Brad Ashford said his plan aims to focus on rehabilitating and treating troubled youth rather than confining juveniles.

David Backes writes the Friday news roundup for Reclaiming Futures and contributes articles about juvenile justice reform and adolescent substance abuse treatment to ReclaimingFutures.org. He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Santa Clara University. David works as an account executive for Prichard Communications.