Lynch on Youth Violence: ZIP Code Must Not Decide Children's Future; News Roundup

Every week Reclaiming Futures rounds up the latest news on juvenile justice reform, adolescent substance abuse treatment, and teen mental health. 

Lynch on Youth Violence: ZIP Code Must Not Decide Children’s Future (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange)
At the fourth National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention earlier this week, U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch demonstrated the prevalence of  youth violence, and the toll it takes on children and their communities. Citing recent events, Lynch reasons that "preventing violence in our communities is not an abstract concept, but a clear and pressing need."

Juvenile Law Center Releases Ten Strategies to Reduce Juvenile Length of Stay (National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges)
In light of the negative effects and risks caused by juvenile confinement, as well as the lack of reduction in recidivism, and the high cost, Juvenile Law Center has released Ten Strategies to Reduce Juvenile Length of Stay.

They’re Not ‘Thugs’ — They’re Our Children (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange)
Seven juvenile justice thought leaders weigh in on the unrest in Baltimore, and how language used to describe the young participants leads to dehumanization. They urge policymakers to address the root causes for youth disconnectedness, rather than going the route of "tougher policing."

Why do we still put kids in shackles when they go to trial? (Washington Post)
Documentary filmmaker Robert May discusses the well-known detrimental effects of automatic shackling of juveniles, and asks why the practice is still so common - and why protections given to adults are not extended to juveniles in the United States. May directed Kids for Cash (2013), which documents a Pennsylvania juvenile court judicial scandal.

Finding real justice, accountability for juveniles (The Register-Guard)
Tim McCabe, from the Center for Dialogue & Resolution, discusses restorative justice and Restorative Peer Court, which is based on indigenous group conferencing models and processes. McCabe finds that Restorative Peer Court empowers youth, and strengthens families and communities.

“It’s a Plant. How Harmful Could It Be?” (Partnership for Drug-Free Kids)
Cassie Goldberg of Partnership for Drug-Free Kids shares advice on how to approach teen marijuana use. She asks readers to remember that use of any substances may harm the still-developing brain of an adolescent, and provides examples to help explain the risks.

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