Juvenile-Justice Corrections Program Trains Dogs, Youths; News Roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• DJJ Study: Fewer kids Getting Booked at School (The Orlando Sentinel)
  A new Florida study says the number of students arrested at schools was cut in half over the last eight years, which ”correlates” with a decline in juvenile delinquency. The Department of Juvenile Justice report says school arrests fell from from more than 24,189 in the 2004-05 school year to 12,520 last year, a drop of 48 percent. School delinquency arrests fell 36 percent during the same period.
• Juvenile Defendants can Meet Victims, Settle Charges Outside Court (Courier-Journal.com)
  The suspect was caught on camera and admitted he caused about $1,800 worth of damage vandalizing a Louisville business. Instead of handling the 16-year-old defendant’s case in juvenile court, local officials asked the business owner, Keith Bush, if he would take part in a “restorative justice” pilot program designed to repair the harm caused by a crime and find ways to keep offenders from re-offending — instead of seeking only retribution.
• Juvenile-Justice Corrections Program Trains Dogs, Youths (Statesman.com)
  “This is a program where the girls can learn life skills through training these dogs,” said Mike Griffiths, executive director of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. “It’s a small program that pays big dividends — for the girls and the dogs.” The dividends include allowing the dogs to be trained to erase their bad habits, or to at least teach them how to manage their problems and keep their actions in check, so they might be adopted into new homes, he said.
• Putting a Developmental Approach Into Practice (JJIE.org)
  Having developmental competence means understanding that children and adolescents’ perceptions and behaviors are influenced by biological and psychological factors related to their developmental stage. For adults working with young people, taking a developmental approach could lead to better outcomes for kids.
• Can Forgiveness Play a Role in Criminal Justice? (The New York Times)
  At 2:15 in the afternoon on March 28, 2010, Conor McBride, a tall, sandy-haired 19-year-old wearing jeans, a T-shirt and New Balance sneakers, walked into the Tallahassee Police Department and approached the desk in the main lobby. Gina Maddox, the officer on duty, noticed that he looked upset and asked him how she could help. “You need to arrest me,” McBride answered. “I just shot my fiancée in the head.” When Maddox, taken aback, didn’t respond right away, McBride added, “This is not a joke.”
• Looking Back and Casting Forward: An Emerging Shift for Juvenile Justice in America (Chicago-Bureau.org)
  The close of 2012 focused so narrowly on terrible events and startling numbers – the Newtown massacre, for example, or Chicago’s sharp rise in homicides – some major criminal justice developments were nearly squeezed out of the national conversation.

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

• Binge Drinking a Big Problem Among High School Girls, CDC Reports (Drugfree.org)
  One in five high school girls binge drink, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report finds almost 14 million women in the United States binge drink about three times a month.
• [VIDEO] Alicia Clouse, Florida Teen, Opens Up About Prescription Drug Addiction (HuffingtonPost.com)
  Nineteen-year-old Alicia Clouse started experimenting prescription pills and marijuana when she was in the eighth grade. Eventually, the Florida teen was taking up to 30-40 Xanax a day, ABC 7 News reports. But Clouse's story isn't uncommon. According to The Partnership For A Drug-Free America, one in six US teens has admitted to using a prescription drug to alter their mood or get high.
• Study Shows Racial Disparities in Completion of Substance Abuse Treatment (Drugfree.org)
  Black and Hispanic patients who enter publicly funded alcohol and drug treatment programs are less likely to complete treatment, compared with white patients, a new study finds. The disparities are likely related to greater unemployment rates and housing instability for black and Hispanic patients, according to the researchers.
• Why Exercise May Do A Teenage Mind Good (NPR.org)
  It's well known that routine physical activity benefits both body and mind. And there are no age limits. Both children and adults can reap big benefits. Now a study published in Clinical Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, explores whether certain factors may help to explain the value of daily physical activity for adolescents' mental health.
• Educators: This January, Help Educate Students About the Dangers of Rx Abuse (Drugfree.org)
  Addressing the epidemic of teen medicine abuse is a responsibility that falls upon entire communities, including those who work in our schools. Educators spend a great deal of time directly interacting with kids, and are in a unique position to help recognize, respond to and address this health crisis that affects thousands of families across the country.
• "Weed Candy" Dubbed Newest Street Drug (WTSP.com)
  Marijuana is a hot topic in this country. At least 18 states have legalized pot in some form, but there's always someone out there willing to take advantage, and the newest street treat is actually an old fashioned recipe - candy made out of pot. "Well there's different forms of it. There's hard candy and taffy and gums, and it comes in all different colors and flavors," says Cristal Bermudez -Nuñez, spokesperson for Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
• Dry January: A New Year’s Challenge (PhoenixHouse.org)
  "As the New Year begins, most of us resolve to conquer the cravings that have taken hold throughout the year. If we can’t resist food, we resolve to lose weight; if we’re obsessed with shopping, we resolve to set spending limits. As the annual quest for self-improvement tests our willpower, it can also show that our habits have a greater grip on us than we think."
   

David Backes writes the Friday news roundup for Reclaiming Futures and contributes articles about juvenile justice reform and adolescent substance abuse treatment to ReclaimingFutures.org. He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Santa Clara University. David works as an account executive for Prichard Communications.