Across the Country, Neighborhoods Gather, Celebrate National Night Out; News Roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Juvenile Jails Being Reworked (WVMetroNews.com)
  West Virginia's juvenile justice system is being reorganized. “The changes we’re making are positive changes for the division,” said state Director of Juvenile Services Stephanie Bond. On Tuesday’s MetroNews “Talkline,” Bond talked about the plan that will mean changes at most of West Virginia’s eleven juvenile facilities.
• Separate Funding for Adult, Juvenile Drug Courts Sought (ClarionLedger.com)
  Youth Court judges want the Legislature to provide separate funding for juvenile and family drug courts. “The adult felony-level drugs courts can operate on funds generated by their fees and assessments on their adult participants,” said Rankin County Youth Court Judge Tom Broome, a member of the state Drug Court Advisory Committee. “The juvenile courts cannot operate under this model.”
• Across the Country, Neighborhoods Gather, Celebrate National Night Out (JJIE.org)
  In theory, National Night Out sounds a little strange — encourage thousands of residents, in cities nationwide to throw block parties and barbecues that will be attended by city law enforcement. In practice, National Night Out is a city-sanctioned, nationwide, one-night event to encourage residents to get to know their neighbors and reclaim their streets, all in an effort to deter crime. In urban hubs across the country, this message resonates particularly strongly, where some communities have historically had complex and sometimes strained relationships with the police.
• St. Louis Judge to be Honored forWork in Juvenile Justice (Fox2Now.com)
  St. Louis Judge Jimmie Edwards, is to be honored for his work in juvenile justice on November 21, later this year in Washington, D.C. Judge Edwards will be the 2013 recipient of the William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence, from Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts.
• OP-ED: Wise Spending Leads to Effective Solutions (JJIE.org)
  "A recent conversation with a group of friends reminded me that discussions about money are complicated and can move easily from discussion to heated argument. I said that more public funds should be dedicated to research about positive outcomes for kids in the juvenile justice system and that the research would lead to development of additional evidence-based programs and practices."

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Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment and Mental Health

• Victims Of Bullying Are More Likely To Be Arrested As Adults (NPR)
  You'd expect bullies to grow up to get in trouble with the law. But children who are consistently bullied also are more likely to run afoul of the law as adults, including being arrested and jailed. Almost 14 percent of people who said they were bullied repeatedly in childhood and their teens had been in prison, compared to 6 percent of people who weren't bullied, according to a study.
• [OPINION] Prevalence of Drug Abuse in Schools is Staggering (RedlandsDailyFacts.com)
  "I am writing in response to the article regarding a Redlands middle school health education teacher possessing methamphetamine with alleged intent to sell. I urge the community, the City Council, and Redlands Unified School District board members to take recent substance abuse rates very seriously. They must understand it is a larger epidemic than most members of this city realize."
• Tackling Disruptive Behavior in Early Childhood 'Could Prevent Substance use in Adolescence' (MedicalXpress.com)
  Delivering a two-year intervention programme to disruptive kindergarten children could help prevent substance use in adolescence, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Alcohol and drug use are highly prevalent and problematic among young people, and the link between childhood behaviour problems and adolescent substance misuse is well-recognised.
• HEALTH MATTERS: When your Child Refuses to go Back to School (CentralJersey.com)
  The start of a new school year is a time of excitement for children and adolescents, but it can also be a time of great stress. While most young people adjust to the rhythms of the academic year, some will go to great lengths to avoid school. From the first-grader who misses mommy, to the middlc-schooler who gets sick on test days, to the teenager who skips school to hang out with friends, school refusal is a varied and complex phenomenon that can exasperate parents and put children at risk for a range of complications.
• Process of Mindfulness may Help Children Focus in the Classroom (KansasFirstNews.com)
  A Kansas State University child/adolescent counselor says a process used to help adults with anxiety disorders may also have a place in the classroom, helping children keep their focus on the subject at hand. Karrie Swan, assistant professor of special education, counseling and student affairs at the university’s College of Education, says a growing trend in mental health practice and research today is mindfulness. Swan says the mindfulness process is one that is showing promise with children.

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.