Return visit to MTV “Juvies” finds fewer kids, fewer dollars

Juvenile Justice Reform

• The polarized debate over Illinois’ youth prison closures
  WBEZ 
  Advocacy groups are applauding Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's proposal this week to close two youth prisons. But strong opposition is coming from the union representing prison workers and some local leaders.
• Radio host Dave Iverson: Phasing out juvenile justice
  KQED
  Governor Jerry Brown has proposed phasing out the state Division of Juvenile Justice over the next three years -- a move which the Legislative Analyst's Office says could save the state more than $100 million; but what's the real cost?
• Giving detainees access to outdoor recreation
  The Bay Citizen 
  How many adults does it take to supervise a playground? Too many, apparently, if the playground is at San Francisco’s Juvenile Justice Center.
• Teaching life skills to help troubled teens
  Cov-News 
  The Newton County Board of Commissioners approved Tuesday a contract with resident Melissa Tice to teach life skills courses to jail inmates who are serving terms of six months or longer in an effort to help them avoid returning to jail. The program will be paid through 2011 State Criminal Alien Assistance Program monies.
• Jerry Davich: Return visit to “Juvies” finds fewer kids, fewer dollars
  Post-Tribune 
  A recent visit to the Lake County Juvenile Justice Center in Crown Point, featured on MTV, found fewer kids and a dedicated staff.
  

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment - from Join Together, The Partnership at Drugfree.org

• Study: Alcohol in movies may lead to underage drinking Watching movies with scenes that feature alcohol consumption doubles the likelihood that teens will start drinking alcohol, according to a new study published in the journal BMJ Open.

• Quitting smoking leads to immediate health benefits for young adults  A new study finds that young adults who quit smoking have substantially fewer respiratory symptoms, especially coughing, after just two weeks.
• Parents key in fighting synthetic drugs, experts say  Parents are a key part of the fight against the emerging threat of synthetic drugs, said Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy. He spoke at a working group session Thursday on synthetic drugs, which was co-hosted by The Partnership at Drugfree.org.
• Middle school students who take part in more sports smoke less Middle school students who take part in a greater number of sports are less likely to smoke than those who participate in fewer, a new study suggests. The researchers also found middle schoolers’ decision about whether to smoke is influenced by whether their teammates do so.

Events

• 5th National Conference on Behavioral Health for Women and Girls For program directors, clinicians, administrators, researchers, policy-makers, individuals in recovery, students and other stakeholders serving women and girls, this conference is for anyone interested in learning more and participating in a dialog about mental health and substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery for women and girls. When: July 17-19, 2012 Where: San Diego, CA

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.