Philanthropist's Grant to Expand Drug Training Programs in Illinois and More; News Roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Juvenile Justice: They're Just Kids (Hartford Courant)
  Teenagers under age 18 who are charged with misdemeanors can no longer be tried as adults in Connecticut. This overdue new law reflects a more nuanced societal understanding of adolescent development and psychology.
• Gov. Deal Wants Review of Juvenile Justice System (The Augusta Chronicle)
  Gov. Nathan Deal urged judges, prosecutors, sheriffs and legislators serving on a criminal-justice reform commission Monday to consider every part of the juvenile justice system for overhaul.
• CT Law Treating 17-Year-Olds as Children in Court Goes Into Effect (EastHampton-PortlandPatch)
  From now on, 17-year-olds arrested for non-felony crimes will be able to take advantage of more state rehabilitation programs rather than jail.
• Opinion: N.J. Sets a Progressive Example for Juvenile Justice Reform (NJ.com)
  "As a juvenile justice advocate and student of legal history, it appears to me that the court’s holding seems obvious, but juvenile law reform has not gone far enough. The same rationale differentiating youth from adults when considering the harshest sentences also underpins other compelling legal questions," says Matthew M. House.
• New Law Channeling Older Teens Into Juvenile Court (Hartford Courant)
  New "raise the age'' legislation introduced 17-year-olds into the juvenile court system for the first time on July 1, and by Tuesday, there were 25 of the older kids sitting in detention centers across the state.

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

• Alcohol and Drugs: Why Parents Should Talk to Their Teenagers (CSMonitor.com)
  Alcohol and drugs pervade teen culture, so it's up to parents to set the right example and talk to their teenagers about its risks and consequences.
• Teen Substance Abuse is Everybody’s Problem (Sentinal-Standard.com)
  Ninety percent of all addicted adults began using as teens, a substance abuse expert told an audience of 70 at the Ionia County Intermediate School District building.
• Philanthropist's Grant to Expand Drug Training Programs in Illinois (SJ-R.com)
  Thanks to a $1.1 million grant from a Chicago-area philanthropist to a nonprofit group in Springfield, hundreds more Illinois teenagers will receive training each year on how to prevent drug abuse.

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.