Generic anti-bullying classes found to be ineffective and more -- news roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• California counties to pay the state $125,000 to house juvenile offenders
  California Governor Jerry Brown announced that the state has to pull the trigger on a series of mid-year budget cuts due to low tax revenues. One of those reductions shaves $67 million from the state’s juvenile justice budget. The cut will force counties to foot the bill for Juvenile Justice wards in state custody, at a cost of $125,000 per youth. Alameda County could be put in a $6.2 million bind.
• Kentucky looks for better way to help young offenders
  Kentucky officials are looking for better ways to deal with youth who commit noncriminal offenses such as skipping school or running away. Research shows that detaining status offenders is the least effective and most expensive option. State leaders admit the system needs improvement.
• Oregon will stop holding juvenile offenders in adult prison
  After federal auditors questioned the practice, Oregon has stopped temporarily holding youth in adult prisons. The Partnership for Safety and Justice, which works on criminal justice issues, won legislation in the 2011 session to encourage local authorities to hold youth in juvenile facilities while they await trial.
• New Report: Generic anti-bullying classes found to be ineffective
  OJJDP has issued a report in which bullying in schools is examined and recommendations are made for the best ways schools can provide support to bullying victims. The study found generic curriculum is an ineffective substitute for student-focused engagement strategies.
• Ohio Courts use internet for greater connectivity
  Ohio’s Coshocton County’s Common Pleas Court, Juvenile and Probate Court and Municipal Court are using the internet to share information more easily with the public and other courts. The Common Pleas Court launched a searchable database for the public that features basic information on open and closed cases with the court.
• South Carolina law enforcement officers complete DJJ gang, violence prevention training
  Recognizing that many kids face significant pressure to join a gang, the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice has partnered with the Gang Resistance Education and Training program in multiple communities across the state to bring the curriculum to local elementary and middle school youth.

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

• New government program aims to protect children from accidental drug overdoses
  A new government program aims to protect young children from accidental drug overdoses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the “Up and Away and Out of Sight” program, to teach parents how to keep medications out of the hands of young children.

• Parents turn to at-home drug tests, but can it harm parent-teen relationship?
  A growing number of parents are using at-home drug tests as a tool for teaching their children to stay away from drugs. But experts in adolescent drug use and the American Academy of Pediatrics are at odds about whether the tests truly help kids decide against using drugs or simply put the parent-teen relationship at risk.
• Students taking action to help other teens and the county get healthier
  In Ohio’s Licking County, a group of teens are dedicated to making the county a healthier place to live and educating residents about the harmful effects of alcohol, drugs and violence. Our Futures has received federal funding to create a Youth Leadership Council to get high school students involved in its mission.
• New research suggests maternal link in substance abuse disorders
  A long-term study of mostly female subjects shows that exposure to a maternal, but not paternal, substance use disorder (SUD) may increase the risk for a subsequent SUD in offspring. The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Funding Opportunity

• $5,000 - $25,000 Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation grant to assess the effectiveness of innovative youth programs
  Evaluation grants are targeted to innovative programs or innovative components of programs serving disadvantaged youth. These are the only Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation grants available to first time applicants. Successful completion of the grant terms opens the possibility of future funding.
  DEADLINE: July 18, 2012

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.