Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse and More; News Roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Bike Donation Makes Difference at Youth Facilities (UTICAOD.com)
  Residents of four upstate juvenile justice facilities operated by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) now have refurbished bicycles to ride. They were donated by Community Bikes, a Hamilton-based organization which refurbishes and “upcycles” unused bicycles to those who need them.
• NC to Examine Racial Disparities in Criminal Justice System (HispanicBusiness.com)
  North Carolina has formed an interim commission to begin studying racial disparities in the criminal justice system. The move follows The Fayetteville Observer's report in June that a task force for defense lawyers found that blacks and Hispanics are "systematically searched at much higher rates than whites."
• Juvenile Offender Program Working (TBO.com)
  A program to keep first-time juvenile offenders out of Hillsborough County, Florida's criminal justice system recorded a 91 percent success rate after one year, county commissioners learned Thursday.

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Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

• Bonuses for Therapists Increase Thoroughness of Teen Substance Abuse Treatment (DrugFree.org)
  Therapists who treat adolescents for drug and alcohol abuse deliver more complete treatment when they are offered monetary rewards based on the quality and quantity of care they deliver, suggests a new study.
• Spike in Youth Drug Abuse Prompts Forum (Rumson-FairHavenPatch.com)
  Under the umbrella of the New Jersey Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, the state Task Force on Heroin and Other Opiate Use by New Jersey’s Youth and Young Adults is holding its third public forum on the subject of substance abuse at the Monmouth County Library's main branch in Manalapan at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29.
• Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse (TheSouthern.com)
  Last year, 7,338 Monmouth County, New Jersey residents were admitted into state alcohol and drug treatment facilities — the highest number of any New Jersey county. Out of those admitted to treatment facilities in 2011, 41 percent were taken in for heroin addiction or dependence on other opiates, including oxycodone, morphine and codeine.
• New Youth Mental Illness Treatment Center (WDIO.com)
  In Minnesota, an estimated 145,000 youth have a diagnosable disorder and approximately 69,000 have a functional impairment due to a mental illness, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Next Thursday, the community will get a chance to check out the new Amberwing Center For Youth & Family Well-Being and officials say it's a whole new way of looking at treatment.

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.