States Save Millions by Downsizing & Closing Juvenile Prisons (and More) -- News Roundup

• Report: Tribal Youth in the Federal Justice System
  Cosponsored by OJJDP and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, this report is now available online. The report describes findings from a study that explored issues surrounding American Indian youth who are processed in the federal justice system, and discusses the prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes at each stage of the justice system.
• From PBS: Stats and Facts on Juveniles Tried as Adults
  Evidence that deterrent effects are minimal or nonexistent, and that, trying juveniles in criminal court may result in higher rates of reoffending.
• Juvenile Offender Becomes Advocate for Youth At-Risk
  Starcia Ague helped push through a law in the state of Washington that allows Class A juvenile felony records to be sealed, at the discretion of the judge, as long as youth have a clean record for five years after their release.

• Four States Create Prescription Drug Task Force
  Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia will work together to develop strategies to reduce the sale and abuse of prescription drugs, and will make recommendations to improve cooperation in sharing data, educational campaigns and police investigations.
• States Save Millions of Dollars by Downsizing and Closing Juvenile Prisons
  A new report from the National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN), "Bringing Youth Home:  A National Movement to Increase Public Safety, Rehabilitate Youth and Save Money," spotlights states that reduced their juvenile facility populations and are now not only reaping the rewards of newfound funds that can be directed into more effective community-based services for youth, but are also seeing a better return on their investment in terms of juvenile rehabilitation and public safety.
  
  
• The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction
  Great brochure that helps us understand "a puzzling contradiction of adolescence: young people at this age are close to a lifelong peak of physical health, strength, and mental capacity, and yet, for some, this can be a hazardous age." (Hat tip to Paul Savery.)

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.