There’s Still Time to Upgrade Your Juvenile Drug Court; News Roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• There's Still time to Upgrade Your Juvenile Drug Court (Reclaiming Futures)
  The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) recently released a solicitation for “OJJDP FY2014 Enhancements to Juvenile Drug Court,” which will provide up to eight juvenile drug courts with as much as $500,000 over three years. The deadline for applications is July 23.
• A Virginia City’s Initiative Aims to Tackle Racial Disparities in Juvenile Justice System (Atlanta Blackstar)
  The goal of a new initiative in Virginia is to help solve the problem of racial disparity in Charlottesville’s juvenile justice system by reaching out to young Black men in the area.
• Community Leaders Seeking Juvenile Justice Reform (13WMAZ)
  Macon-Bibb Commissioner Al Tillman says he's sponsoring a resolution calling for the repeal of laws passed 20 years ago. "I don't think they're working and if you ask most state facilities that run, jails are overcrowded and they don't know what to do, and I think we're hurting ourselves here in Georgia," Tillman says.

• From Prison to Politics: Prophet Walker’s Journey (JJIE)
  “When I walked in to Ironwood and they called my name to go up to speak, the entire place erupted with people screaming and cheering,” former inmate--and now candidate for state office--Prophet Walker recounts. “When I walked away, people were saying that I had inspired them. These are people who have life sentences and to have them say I inspired them was great. It was really moving.”

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 and Mental Health

• Steamboat Teen Chosen for Statewide Drug Prevention Council (Steamboat Today)
  Steamboat High School student Hunter Brundridge is one of 24 new members selected for the Rise Above Colorado Teen Action Council. The program is a statewide outreach that strives to “empower teens to lead a life free of drug abuse.”

• Mental Health ‘Taskforce’ to Review Child Mental Health Services (Pulse)
  The Government has set up a taskforce to review community child and adolescent mental health services, after an NHS England review concluded that children were being sent to specialist inpatient services inappropriately.

• The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids Launches New Prescriber Education Campaign (The Wall Street Journal)
  The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing teen substance abuse and supporting families impacted by addiction, has introduced a new campaign targeting healthcare professionals as part of its Medicine Abuse Project.