Discussion of Supreme Court Ban of Life Without Parole for Juveniles and more; news roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• High court ruling on juvenile life sentences means a chance at freedom (Orlando Sentenial)
  In more than two-dozen states, lawyers can now ask for new sentences. And judges will have discretion to look beyond the crime at other factors such as a prisoner's age at the time of the offense, the person's background and perhaps evidence that an inmate has changed while incarcerated.
• RExO Grants: Reduce Recidivism and Build Lives (Huffington Post)
  This month, the Department of Labor announced grants of nearly $50 million to 25 organizations under two different grant programs that serve juveniles under our Re-Integration of Ex-Offenders initiative.
• Juvenile Justice: A Move Away From Detention For Some (NorthEscambia.com)
  Florida law enforcement and criminal justice officials say the use of civil citations for troubled youth, rather than a lock-up, is slashing costs, and giving kids a better chance of a turn-around, and they want the practice to become more widespread.
• L.A. School Police, District Agree to Rethink Court Citations of Students (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange)
  In the wake of critical news reports, Los Angeles school police and administrators have agreed to rethink enforcement tactics that have led to thousands of court citations yearly for young students in low-income, mostly minority neighborhoods.
• Officials: Mentally ill children who don't get help can end up in criminal justice system (CrownPointCommunity.com)
  To child welfare advocates, the plights of families with mentally ill children demonstrate the state's failure to protect its most vulnerable children. Parents, judges, prosecutors, and other officials in Indiana say there is a multi-agency failure to provide mental health services to the children who need it most.
• Juvenile justice changes cutting costs (Herald Tribune Politics)
  Florida law enforcement and criminal justice officials say the use of civil citations for troubled youth, rather than a lock-up, is slashing costs, and giving kids a better chance of a turn-around, and they want the practice to become more widespread.

Jobs, Grants, Events and Webinars

• Please share the Reclaiming Futures Opportunity Board with your colleagues in the juvenile justice, adolescent substance abuse and teen mental health areas. It's free to browse and post!

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

• Social Media Can Help in Recovery From Addiction (Huffington Post)
  These days, virtually everyone owns a computer, smartphone, or other mobile device. Digital interaction is an integral part of our everyday routine. We check emails and texts, update our Facebook page, fire off a Tweet or two, and then finish our morning coffee. This rapidly growing interconnectivity is a godsend for those in recovery. An individual leaving a treatment center in California can return to his home in New Jersey and remain in close contact with his brothers in recovery no matter where they live.
• SAMHSA Consumer Webinar (SAMHSA.gov)
  SAMHSA is reaching out to persons in recovery in order to seek their input. Please consider taking part if you are in recovery and please forward to individuals in recovery whom you think might be interested in taking part in this webinar. It is critically important that the voices of addiction recovery are well represented in this process.
• Drug Courts and Community Supervision Webinar (NPC Research)
  Supervision is a critical element of your drug court model. NPC Research has verified this key component is important for savings and outcome improvements. The value of field services on your outcomes is particularly crucial. Learn the how and why of community supervision, and why it is important to make your community supervision agencies central to your treatment team.
   

Lori Howell is a Senior Associate at Prichard Communications. She is a seasoned public affairs practitioner with a background in public policy, fundraising, and education. Lori helps clients with online editorial services, media relations, and publications. Before joining Prichard Communications, she served as chief of staff for Greg Macpherson, a former Oregon state legislator, an account executive for the Northwest Evaluation Association, a nonprofit educational testing consortium, and once taught English in Choshi, Japan.