New juvenile court guidelines help struggling students & more: news roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• New juvenile court guidelines to help struggling students
  The San Fernando Valley Sun:
  Los Angeles' Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Michael Nash has issued new guidelines to eliminate fines and unnecessary court time for students who were late to school and for other minor offenses. The court will also direct students who miss school to seek out school- and community-based resources that are shown to improve academic achievement and get struggling students back on track.
• Report: Move mentally ill youth from state lockups CantonRep.com:
  The state should transfer mentally ill juvenile inmates to psychiatric facilities as soon as possible and find money for their treatment, according to a new report on the status of Ohio’s youth prison system.
• Pennsylvania court amending waivers for juveniles
  The Times Leader:
  New statewide rules regarding legal representation of juveniles in court were sparked by the judicial scandals that first rocked Luzerne County three years ago.
• Despite weak economy, crime in Los Angeles County still declines
  LA Times:
  There have been dire warnings that crime would rise since the economy began stalling several years ago. But in Southern California, crime continues its long decline despite the weak economy. Indeed, 2011 brought new worries about a "double dip recession," yet streets in many parts of the region were the safest they've been in decades.
• New California bill goes after parents of truant teens
  Inland Valley Daily Bulletin:
  California Assembly Bill 177, which took effect on January 1st, expands the number of reasons for which parents or guardians can be ordered to take anti-gang parenting classes if their child is convicted of a crime.
• Board of Juvenile Justice retains ban on discrimination based on youths’ sexual orientation
  Washington Post:
  Virginia’s Board of Juvenile Justice again has retained a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation at its residential centers.
• Richmond Juvenile Detention Center has been placed on state probation
  Richmond Times-Dispatch:
  For the second time in three years, the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center has been placed on state probation because of ongoing safety concerns.
• New Illinois laws include shifts in juvenile sentencing process
  A new state law requires that Illinois judges sentencing minors to state juvenile prison ensure that incarceration is the least restrictive option and that efforts to find alternatives to secure confinement were unsuccessful.
• Alabama’s Lauderdale County shutting down detention center
  Weeks after the Justice Department announced its investigation into Lauderdale County's juvenile justice system, county officials are moving to shut down the youth detention facility a grand jury described as unfit to house dogs.
• After jail, youth with disabilities need special support to stay out
  When young people with disabilities end up in the juvenile justice system, they're less likely to return to youth prisons after their sentence is up if they have jobs or go to school quickly after being released, a new paper says.

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

• Pennsylvania Senator calls for closing of loopholes in law on synthetic drugs
  Join Together:
  U.S. Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to close loopholes in a synthetic drug law that allows makers of the drugs to slightly alter their ingredients to avoid federal and state bans.

• Fresno County projects address teen drug use
  Teenage prescription drug abuse is on the rise in California, so much so that a California Department of Education survey assessing student well-being included questions about it for the first time in its last statewide report.
• Program: Parents matter in battle against teen drug use
  The Kane County sheriff’s office in St. Charles, Ill. last week presented a community education program for parents and other adults who care for kids and advised them to talk with their kids about drugs.
• Police and parents unite against substance abuse
  Gallatin North Missourian:
  The Gallatin (Missouri) Police Department recently joined with TestMyTeen.com to provide schools and parents with free home drug test kits.
• Oxycodone prescriptions rose sharply in New York
  The New York Times:
  In a stark depiction of the rapid spread of prescription drug use and abuse in New York State, a new report shows that prescriptions for oxycodone, a widely prescribed narcotic painkiller, rose by 82 percent from 2007 to 2010.
• Alcohol ads appeal to teens online
  Drugfree.org
  Teens are likely being exposed to a lot of alcohol advertising online, says the Director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Alcohol companies’ voluntary limits on print, television and radio ads are often ignored on social media websites.

Webinars

• Building and maintaining a successful non-profit board of directors
  Managing a non-profit organization's board of directors can be a significant part of an executive director's responsibilities. However, already-taxed staff often struggle to find time to develop the relationships at the core of a successful board of directors. This National Reentry Resource Center-sponsored webinar will help redefine what it means to have a successful board, how staff can impact board success, and how effective boards can make or break organizational development and sustainability. When: January 30, 2012 Time: 2-3:30 p.m. (EST)
• A look at faith-based approaches to offender reentry
  Many schools and communities struggle to find effective ways to prevent both bullying and suicidal behavior among youth. This webinar will provide the latest research and science on the relationship between bullying and suicide and will outline some of the shared risk and protective factors. The webinar will also discuss the main principles of a comprehensive whole school approach to bullying prevention. This presentation will be interactive, with opportunities to ask questions. When: January 31, 2012 Time: 3-4:30 (EST)
• Re-engagement centers: key element in a city strategy to recovery dropouts
  Cities such as Boston, Mass., Newark, N.J., Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., Omaha, Neb., and Des Moines, Iowa, have established one-stop "re-engagement centers" to connect struggling high school students - including those who have already dropped out - with credit recovery, tutoring, child care, and other services that help them reenroll and graduate from high school or complete an alternative education program leading to a diploma or GED. Join this free webinar to learn more about this approach with municipal leaders and staff who have created reengagement centers in their cities. When: January 31, 2012 Time: 2:30 (EST)
• Bullying and suicide prevention Many schools and communities are struggling to find effective ways to prevent both bullying and suicidal behavior among youth. This webinar will provide the latest research and science on the relationship between bullying and suicide and will outline some of the shared risk and protective factors. The webinar will also discuss the main principles of a comprehensive whole school approach to bullying prevention. This presentation will be interactive, with opportunities to ask questions. When: February 2, 2012 Time: 3-4:30 (EST)

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.