Blog

Fewer Teens Being Prosecuted as Adults in Arizona

By David Backes, June 26 2012

The juvenile population in Arizona continues to rise, with projections from the Arizona Department of Economic Security suggesting as much as a 25% increase in the next 10 years. These numbers are in line with what Arizona has seen over the past 5 years--a 10% increase in the juvenile population since 2006.
Despite this increase in overall juvenile population, fewer of Arizona’s youth are entering probation and being sent to adult court. Between fiscal year 2010 and 2011, Arizona sent 15% less juveniles to adult court while the overall juvenile population increased by just over 2%. For the visual learners out there, take a look at this graph:

Topics: Arizona, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Supreme Court Rules Mandatory Life Without Parole Unconstitutional for Juveniles

By Liz Wu, June 25 2012

In a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) today ruled that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles convicted of murder are unconstitutional. Justice Elena Kegan wrote the majority opinion, which focused on the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
Writing at the SCOTUSblog, Tejinder Singh elaborates on the decision:

The Court’s opinion brings together two strands of precedent to hold that a mandatory life-without-parole sentence for juveniles violates the Eighth Amendment. The first strand holds that the Eighth Amendment categorically prohibits punishments that enact a mismatch between the culpability of a class of offenders and the severity of the penalty. Citing, among cases, Roper and Graham, the Court explains that juveniles have always been regarded as less culpable because the distinctive attributes of youth diminish the penological justifications for imposing the harshest penalties on juvenile offenders, even when they commit severe crimes. The second line of precedent holds that life without parole shares key characteristics with the death penalty, and thus raises similar Eighth Amendment concerns, most notably that defendants are entitled to individualized consideration when facing such a severe sanction.
Weaving these two lines of precedent together, the Court held that mandatory life without parole violates the Eighth Amendment. Such sentencing regimes, the court explained, “preclude a sentence from taking account of an offender’s age and the wealth of characteristics and circumstances attendant to it,” including “immaturity, impetuosity, and failure to appreciate risks and consequences,” as well as the juvenile’s “family and home environment,” and the circumstances of the offense, including “the extent of his participation in the conduct and the way familial and peer pressures may have affected him.” By eliding these key factors, mandatory life without parole “poses too great a risk of disproportionate punishment.”

Topics: JLWOP, Juvenile Justice Reform, Juvenile Life Without Parole, No bio box, Supreme Court

SAMHSA Releases New Toolkit on Suicide Prevention in High Schools

By SAMHSA, June 25 2012

Suicide is one of the nation’s greatest public health problems – but it is also completely preventable. If all of us work together in an effort to reach out and help those at risk we can prevent the needless devastation suicide brings to individuals, loved ones and communities across the nation.
In order to provide practical help in this effort the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has developed a new toolkit entitled Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools. The toolkit aims at reducing the risk of suicide among high school students by providing research-based guidelines and resources to assist school administrators, principals, mental health professionals, health educators, guidance counselors, nurses, student services coordinators, teachers and others identify teenagers at risk and take appropriate measures to provide help.
The tool kit offers information on screening tools, warning signs and risk factors of suicide, statistics, and parent education materials.

Topics: No bio box, SAMHSA, schools, suicide

Cost of addiction on families and more; news roundup

By Lori Howell, June 22 2012

Juvenile Justice Reform

$15 million complex  to open in August, avoids jail-like setting (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) The new facility is a reflection of a collaborative effort among police, schools and the court that has made Clayton a national model for keeping kids out of jail.
Illinois lawmakers raise high school drop out age (wrex.com) Belvidere Superintendent Michael Houselog says he wants to see kids in schools, and that the district is working to accomplish that goal. Guilford High School rising senior Max James says students will pick school over breaking the law.
At-risk youths achieve in San Angelo, Texas (gosanangelo.com) A $154,000 grant was awarded to the Tom Green County Juvenile Justice Department earlier this year to address the needs of children ages 6 through 13. The goal was to identify problems in school or the household before students ended up on juvenile probation.

Topics: Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, Juvenile Justice Reform, michael houselog, No bio box

Join the 6/26 Twitter Chat on Bullying

By Liz Wu, June 21 2012

On Tuesday, June 26th, the Advancement Project, Gay-Straight Alliance Network and the Alliance for Educational Justice are hosting a Twitter chat on bullying. In particular, they will explore strategies that schools can take to end bullying. They will also discuss zero-tolerance and school-to-prison pipeline policies.
The three organizations are also releasing a policy report on bullying and zero-tolerance disciplinary measures.
To join the conversation, use the #bullychat hashtag on Twitter and RSVP on Facebook for the opportunity to submit questions ahead of time.

Topics: bullying, Evidence-Based Practices, No bio box, schools

Richard Buery: Community Engagement Vital for Juvenile Justice System

By Liz Wu, June 21 2012

Over in The Atlantic Cities, Richard R. Buery Jr. of the Children's Aid Society has a very compelling piece about the importance of community-based rehabilitation centers in working with troubled youth.
He explains:

Engaging the local community is vital to the rehabilitation process. For young offenders, receiving supportive services in their home communities, where they can remain connected to families and local institutions, offers the most reliable path for ensuring that they do not grow up to become lifelong criminals. For most children convicted of minor infractions, effective services can be provided while they live at home, avoiding the costs and negative impact of institutionalization. Yet for the past few decades we have failed troubled youth--the vast majority of them black and Latino (84 percent of all admissions in 2009) - by shipping them to juvenile detention facilities hundreds of miles away from home, often for minor infractions.
Cutting these children off from their communities threatens their often fragile family relationships. Worse, young people don't learn to become responsible adults at these facilities--on the contrary, they are often neglected and face abuse. And despite how ineffective and unsafe these facilities are, the city and state spend millions of dollars a year to keep them running. Compared to the alternative, the waste is astonishing. Holding a youth offender in a secure facility costs around $260,000 a year; alternative, community-based treatment programs can cost about $20,000 per child per year, and have better results.

Topics: Community Engagement, Family Involvement, Juvenile Justice Reform, New York, No bio box

DOE Asks for Strategies to Improve Outcomes for Disconnected Youth

By Liz Wu, June 20 2012

The Federal Interagency Forum on Disconnected Youth recently put out a request for information on ways to improve outcomes for disconnected youth. Comments and suggestions submitted by July 5 will inform the Administration's development of the "Performance Partnership Pilots" program.
From the request:

This request for information offers States, tribal governments, local entities, community-based and other non-profit organizations, private-sector partners, philanthropic organizations, faith-based organizations, researchers, and other interested individuals and entities the opportunity to provide recommendations on effective approaches for improving outcomes for disconnected youth by working across programs and systems that provide relevant services to them. For the purposes of this RFI, “to improve outcomes for disconnected youth” means to increase the rate at which young people ages 14 to 24 who are homeless, in foster care, involved in the juvenile justice system, or are neither employed nor enrolled in an educational institution achieve success in meeting educational, employment, and other key lifelong development goals.
The public input provided in response to this notice will inform the deliberations of the Interagency Forum on Disconnected Youth about determining the best use of the authority requested in the President's FY 2013 budget for the Performance Partnership Pilots. If legislation provides this authority, these pilots would create innovative and comprehensive reengagement strategies that encourage additional academic and non-academic supports and support multiple pathways to prepare disconnected youth for college and career success. Responses to the RFI will also inform how the Department of Education (ED), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Labor (DOL) could deploy other resources for disconnected youth that have been requested in the FY 2013 budget. In addition, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are interested in how their programsserving disconnected youth could contribute to Performance Partnership Pilots and other efforts to improve outcomes for this population.

Topics: Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box

Human Rights Campaign Survey Highlights Quality of Life Factors for LGBT Youth

By Brooke Preston, June 20 2012

The Human Rights Campaign recently released a study called “Growing Up LGBT in America,” which surveyed 10,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) as well as straight youth ages 13-17. The study is the largest known survey of LGBT youth.

Key findings:

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Topics: lgbt, No bio box, survey

Department of Justice Releases Results of Ground-Breaking Tennessee Investigation

By Liz Ryan, June 18 2012

The U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Civil Rights Division's recent investigation of the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County Tennessee is a "must read" for youth justice advocates, especially as it relates to racial and ethnic disparities and the prosecution of youth in adult criminal court.

The DOJ's extensive investigation, which began nearly three years ago, found a failure to provide adequate due process protections for children before transferring them to adult criminal court and racial disparities in the treatment of African-American children. The report shows that an African-American child is twice as likely as a white child to be recommended for transfer to adult court. Of the 390 transfers to adult court in 2010 in Tennessee, approximately one half were from Shelby County, and all but two of the total children transferred were African-American.

“This report is a step toward our goal of improving the juvenile court, increasing the public’s confidence in the juvenile justice system, and maintaining public safety,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at a press conference when the report was released. “Upholding the constitutional rights of children appearing before the court is necessary to achieve these ends. The department will work with Memphis leadership to create a comprehensive blueprint that will create sustainable reforms in the juvenile justice system.”

Topics: Disproportionate Minority Contact, Juvenile Justice Reform, No bio box, Tennessee

The Crime Report Looks into Practice of Trying Teens in Adult Court

By Liz Wu, June 18 2012

Over at The Crime Report, Cara Tabachnick takes a look at the practice of trying teens in adult court. She writes:

Nathan Jordan is serving a 170-year sentence at Sterling Correction Facility in Colorado for aggravated robbery, motor vehicle theft and possession of a weapon.
But most of his crimes, which did not result in anyone’s death or injury, took place in in the late 1990s, before he was 18 . According to Colorado law, he was a juvenile offender.
So how did Jordan end up with the kind of sentence that might be meted out to serial killers or career criminals?
The answer is devastatingly simple: he was tried in adult court.

Topics: Colorado, Juvenile Justice Reform, New York, No bio box, North Carolina, Vermont

What is Denver Juvenile and Family Justice Doing Right? Teamwork

By Susan Richardson, June 15 2012

They were the recipients of the 2012 JMATE Evidence-Based Practice Program Award for demonstrating a consistent commitment and movement towards evidence-based practice in adolescent substance abuse treatment. What is Denver doing right? Turns out it's good old fashioned teamwork.
We recently spoke with Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Karen M. Ashby about what Denver is doing to break the cycle of drugs, alcohol and crime.

Note: Review criteria for the JMATE reward included evidence of: (1) using evidence-based manuals, protocols, knowledge, and technologies, and using data to improve implementation, management, and fidelity; (2) a sustained commitment to evidence-based practices; and (3) a specific focus on adolescent treatment and recovery.

Topics: Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, denver, Juvenile Justice Reform, karen ashby, No bio box, Reclaiming Futures, teamwork

Program fosters trust between youth, police and more; news roundup

By Lori Howell, June 15 2012

Juvenile Justice Reform

Studying the gap between boys and girls inside the department of juvenile services (WYPR Public Radio) Maryland Morning Radio talks with Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit head Nick Moroney about how things have –- or haven’t -– changed for girls in the juvenile justice system.
Young people in trouble with the law receive diplomas a in Stockton, Calif. (Central Stockton News 10) “Rehabilitation is the primary objective of our juvenile justice program and a high school education is the foundation for building a successful life,” said Matthew Cate, Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility Secretary.
Juvenile justice increasing safety and saving money in Delaware (Delaware Online) Delaware has improved its juvenile justice system in recent years, helping more young people return to their families and learn to stay out of trouble, according to a report released June 12.
Program fosters trust between youth and police (Post-Gazette) Pittsburgh encourages honest dialogue in meetings between police officers and teenagers in an effort to reduce the number of young people of color caught up in the system.
Connecticut's Juvenile Review Board tries to keep young people out of court system (Middletown Press) Connecticut Juvenile Review Board members, drawn from local youth-oriented nonprofits and service agencies, are empowered to take cases of first-time offenders referred from juvenile court. As a test, the group is also taking students referred by a local middle school.
Program works to keep kids out of juvenile justice and child welfare systems (PostCrescent.com) Leaders of a national project, sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation and Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps, selected Outagamie County, Wisconsin as one of four counties in the nation to receive aid and technical assistance to prevent children from entering both the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

Topics: Adolescent Mental Health, Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment, Juvenile Justice Reform, k2, No bio box, Reclaiming Futures, spice

How Ready is Your Organization for the Health Care Reform?

By Brooke Preston, June 14 2012

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The Supreme Court will soon decide whether to uphold The Affordable Care Act. Unless the court decides to repeal some or all of this law, widespread changes will soon take place in the healthcare arena.

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NIATx, along with research from the Accelerating Reform Initiative (ARI), developed the Health Reform Readiness Index, which helps organizations assess their organization's capacity to undertake the changes resulting from health care reform, parity legislation, state budget shortfalls, and increased performance accountability.

This index will provide you with a snapshot of how ready your organization is for change, as well as improvements that your organization might be able to make.

To access the index, please visit: http://www.niatx.net/News/NewsDetails.aspx?id=1006

Topics: Healthcare, No bio box, tools

Free iTraining: Adolescent Care Management

By Brooke Preston, June 14 2012

On the third Thursday of each month, the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) hosts free iTrainings surrounding various topics affecting the addictions treatment and recovery services fields. This month's iTraining is "Adolescent Care Management--An Emerging Health Care Reform Priority".
Training info:
Thursday, June 21, 2012
2:00-3:30 pm Eastern
Hosted by: David Jefferson, MSW, Northwest Frontier ATTC
Dept of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University

Topics: Community Engagement, Healthcare, No bio box

OJP Releases Fact Sheet on Drug Courts

By Brooke Preston, June 13 2012

The Office of Justice Programs, in collaboration with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the National Institute of Justice, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, has released the fact sheet, “Drug Courts.”
This fact sheet examines adult and juvenile drug court program models and OJP’s support of adult and juvenile drug courts. It also provides facts, research findings, and additional resources regarding drug courts.
The fact sheet is available online.
Resources:
Read the fact sheet, at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/238527.pdf.

Topics: fact sheet, Juvenile Treatment Drug Court, No bio box

Today at 12:30 p.m. (PDT) Live Chat with Hazel Cameron and The Seattle Times

By Lori Howell, June 13 2012

Discuss the impact of mentoring on at risk youth Wednesday June 13th between 12:30-12:45
Please join Reclaiming Futures King County Community Fellow Hazel Cameron of the 4C Coalition in a live chat hosted by The Seattle Times.

Here's the lineup:
12 p.m. to 12:15 p.m. Seattle Police Department.
12:15 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Prometheus Brown, also known as George Quibuyen, wrote a song about the shootings in a Sunday Seattle Times guest column. Check out his video and lyrics here.
12:30 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. Hazel Cameron is executive director of the 4C Coalition, which mentors at-risk youth. Editorial writer Lynne K. Varner wrote about mentoring as a way to protect the public from street violence.
12:45 p.m. to 1 p.m. Andrew J. Swanson is a musician and Cafe Racer regular who wrote a moving op-ed about the friends he lost in the shooting and how we can honor them.
Join the chat. Please share comments or questions about mentoring.

Topics: Mentoring, No bio box, Reclaiming Futures, seattle shooting, seattle times

New Report Examines Processes and Outcomes of Advancing Recovery

By Brooke Preston, June 12 2012

A recent report, “Advancing Recovery: Implementing Evidence-Based Treatment for Substance Use Disorders at the Systems Level”, examined the process and outcomes of Advancing Recovery—a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiative—to overcome barriers to implementing evidence-based treatments within alcohol and drug treatment systems.

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The researchers conducted a 3-year, mixed-method study of treatment systems as well as two evidence-based practices: medication-assisted treatment and continuing care management.

Topics: No bio box, report, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Report: Investment in Early Education Could Impact Youth Crime Statistics

By Shannon Kluss, June 12 2012

According to a recent report from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, investing in high-quality early care and education could reduce the likelihood that children will commit crimes and be arrested, saving state governments millions of dollars long-term. The anti-crime organization stated in its report, Pay Now or Pay Much More Later, that high-quality pre-kindergarten and other early learning programs can prevent children from ever reaching this path towards prison.
Critical years for child development are considered from birth to age five, when a child’s brain is most rapidly developing. Early investment in quality education during this period can have significant long-term effects on a child’s future, and help build safer communities. Evidence from several studies shows that this investment can reduce the likelihood that a child will be sentenced to jail or prison and increase their chances of graduating from high school.

Topics: early education, No bio box, reports

June 27 OJJDP Webinar: Sustaining Quality Programs

By Brooke Preston, June 11 2012

On June 27, 2012, at 3:30 p.m. E.T., the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will present a Webinar titled, “Effective Strategies to Help Sustain Your Quality Programs.”

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This Webinar is designed for jurisdictions, organizations, and individuals who want to:

-leverage cross-systems communications and collaborations to sustain effective programs
-learn social marketing skills and strategies
-advocate for their programs, services, initiatives, and functions
-engage clients, funders, and champions as advocates

Topics: No bio box, OJJDP, Webinar

SAMHSA Releases 2012 Recovery Month Toolkit

By Brooke Preston, June 11 2012

This September, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will sponsor its 23rd annual National Recovery Month. This long-standing observance celebrates the effectiveness of prevention, treatment, and recovery services and the reality of recovery for all individuals experiencing behavioral health issues.

Topics: No bio box

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