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New Report, Gender Injustice: System-Level Juvenile Justice Reforms for Girls

genderinjusticeA new report calls for juvenile justice reformers to focus attention on girls in the system. The report, “Gender Injustice: System-Level Juvenile Justice Reform for Girls,” acknowledges promising reform initiatives, but emphasizes the need for these efforts to be inclusive of girls who have landed in the system due to a traumatic experience, such as domestic violence or sexual abuse. The report is authored by Francine T. Sherman and Annie Balck, and produced by The National Crittenton Foundation and The National Women’s Law Center.

Girls Incarcerated Longer for Less Serious Offenses, Texas Study Shows; News Roundup

Every week Reclaiming Futures rounds up the latest news on juvenile justice reform, adolescent substance use treatment, and teen mental health. 

Girls Incarcerated Longer for Less Serious Offenses, Texas Study Shows (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange)
"The Influence of Gender and Traumatic Experiences on Length of Time Served in Juvenile Justice Settings," a new study from The University of Texas in Austin, finds that girls in the Texas juvenile justice system serve longer sentences than boys do, and for less serious offences. In the Texas study, girls were also more likely than boys to have experienced trauma and mental health issues prior to incarceration.

Opportunity Board Roundup: Juvenile Justice Grants, Jobs, Webinars and Events

opportunityBelow you'll find a selection of the latest grants, jobs, webinars and events posted to our Opportunity Board. Please share the Reclaiming Futures Opportunity Board with your colleagues in the juvenile justice, adolescent substance use and teen mental health areas. We encourage you to browse and to post!

Watch This Webinar: Improving Services for LGBT Youth

feet-349687_1920Reclaiming Futures is committed to the equitable treatment of troubled youth—nurturing each of them on a path toward health and prosperity, rather than incarceration. To do this, we must be able to identify and end the patterns of discrimination and victimization at play in our schools and our juvenile justice systems.

Racial Justice, LGBTQ Advocates Should Partner on School Issues; News Roundup

Every week Reclaiming Futures rounds up the latest news on juvenile justice reform, adolescent substance use treatment, and teen mental health. 

Report: Racial Justice, LGBTQ Advocates Should Partner on School Issues (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange)
National advocacy organizations released a report this past week demonstrating the need for advocates of youth of color and advocates of LGBTQ youth to form stronger relationships in order to more effectively address disparities in school discipline, and to work toward dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline.

Opportunity Board Roundup: Juvenile Justice Grants, Jobs, Webinars and Events

opportunityBelow you'll find a selection of the latest grants, jobs, webinars and events posted to our Opportunity Board. Please share the Reclaiming Futures Opportunity Board with your colleagues in the juvenile justice, adolescent substance use and teen mental health areas. We encourage you to browse and to post!

3 New Reports that Demand Equity Action

disproportionatelydisciplinedMounting evidence shows that minority youth populations such as African Americans,
Hispanics, girls and LGBT youth are more likely to be suspended and expelled from schools, and more likely to be involved in the juvenile justice system.

As a juvenile justice or behavioral expert, leveraging evidence-based research, especially new research, is one of the most effective ways to promote change to your communities or elected officials. To equip you with the tools needed to pave pathways to equity in the juvenile justice system and school settings, consider these five 2015 reports and takeaways demanding equity.

New ‘Ban the Box’ Bill Would Improve Access to Federal Jobs for Youth With Records; News Roundup

Every week Reclaiming Futures rounds up the latest news on juvenile justice reform, adolescent substance use treatment, and teen mental health. 

New ‘Ban the Box’ Bill Would Improve Access to Federal Jobs for Youth With Records (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange)
The new Fair Chance To Compete for Jobs Act would help youth with criminal histories gain employment by prohibiting employers from asking about criminal history until a conditional offer of employment is received. The hope is that this will help qualified candidates avoid the stigma of past conviction when seeking out employment. As many as 70 million people with criminal histories may face barriers to employment.

Leadership Institute Videos, Now Available

Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 4.14.28 PMVideos from Reclaiming Futures’ annual Leadership Institute held this past June in La Jolla, California, are now available online!

The event, entitled “Public Health and Justice: A Partnership to Promote Equity and Well-being for Youth and Families,” brought together experts in juvenile justice and behavioral health to discuss equity and restorative justice in schools.

Increase in Homicides Unlikely to Derail Juvenile Justice Reforms Observers Say; News Roundup

Every week Reclaiming Futures rounds up the latest news on juvenile justice reform, adolescent substance use treatment, and teen mental health. 

Increase in Homicides Unlikely to Derail Juvenile Justice Reforms Observers Say (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange)
An increase in homicides in major cities across the country this year is unlikely to hamper juvenile justice reform efforts, say advocates and analysts. As cities grapple with the problem, observers say they have not seen teenagers scapegoated or a significant push for tough-on-crime policies that run counter to reforms that emphasize treatment and rehabilitation.

Topics: News

What Campaign Zero’s Policy Recommendations Mean for Our Youth

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Last week, Campaign Zero—an initiative started by prominent members of the Black Lives Matter movement—released a set of policy solutions to curb police violence and discrimination in the wake of several high-profile police killings, including that of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., on August 9, 2014.

Here we review a few of Campaign Zero’s key recommendations that would have a notable impact on minors, which is our focus here at Reclaiming Futures.

Federal Juvenile Justice Committee Advises More Funding for States; News Roundup

Every week Reclaiming Futures rounds up the latest news on juvenile justice reform, adolescent substance use treatment, and teen mental health. 

Federal Juvenile Justice Committee Advises More Funding for States (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange)
"The Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice on Monday voted 8-2 for a slate of recommendations related to the reauthorization of the JJDPA, the law that sets standards for juvenile justice programs."

Topics: News

Opportunity Board Roundup: Juvenile Justice Grants, Jobs, Webinars and Events

opportunityBelow you'll find a selection of the latest grants, jobs, webinars and events posted to our Opportunity Board. Please share the Reclaiming Futures Opportunity Board with your colleagues in the juvenile justice, adolescent substance use and teen mental health areas. We encourage you to browse and to post!

Back to School: Activating Support for Behavioral Health Awareness

Back to School Twitter Profile PicKids and teens are gearing up to head back to school, but more than 12 million of them will face a mental health disorder over the next year. Sometimes these issues aren’t addressed in schools or by parents, and can result in substance use, status offenses and ultimately, involvement with the juvenile justice system.

As juvenile justice and behavioral health experts, we can empower our networks to provide support to young people struggling with a mental health disorders, so they can continue on a productive path inside and outside the classroom.

Helping Students With Mental-Health Issues Return to School; News Roundup

Every week Reclaiming Futures rounds up the latest news on juvenile justice reform, adolescent substance use treatment, and teen mental health. 

Helping Students With Mental-Health Issues Return to School (Education Week)
Dr. Laura C. Murray provides recommendations on how to best support youth recovering from mental health issues as they transition back to school after time away.

Opportunity Board Roundup: Juvenile Justice Grants, Jobs, Webinars and Events

opportunityBelow you'll find a selection of the latest grants, jobs, webinars and events posted to our Opportunity Board. Please share the Reclaiming Futures Opportunity Board with your colleagues in the juvenile justice, adolescent substance use and teen mental health areas. We encourage you to browse and to post!

4 Ways to Promote Behavioral and Mental Health During September’s Recovery Month

2015-planning-partners_banners_squareThe Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is gearing up for its 26th year hosting Recovery Month, a national observance to promote awareness around substance use treatment and mental health services.

As a champion for better treatment for adolescents, Reclaiming Futures echoes SAMHSA’s Recovery Month message that behavioral health is essential to overall health. We’ve seen tremendous gains across our 42 sites among teens who have received substance use treatment or mental health services, connected with mentors and natural helpers, and immersed back into their communities in productive ways.

NCJFCJ Resolves to Stop Shackling of Children in Juvenile Court; News Roundup

Every week Reclaiming Futures rounds up the latest news on juvenile justice reform, adolescent substance use treatment, and teen mental health. 

New Release: The NCJFCJ Resolves to Stop Shackling of Children in Juvenile Court (Nevada Business)
The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) released its resolution on Monday stating that automatic shackling of young people in juvenile court is not a fair or trauma-informed practice, and such a practice will no longer be tolerated. This resolution builds on the NCJFCJ's 2005 guidelines calling for a continuum of effective and least intrusive responses in juvenile justice.

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