Program in Loudoun County, Virginia Reduces Recidivism in Teens; News Roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Behind 'Juvenile In Justice': A Discussion With Photographer Richard Ross (KMUW.org)
  There are about 70,000 young people in juvenile detention centers or correctional faculties in the United States. Richard Ross spent the past seven years documenting the lives of American juveniles who have been housed in these facilities that treat, confine, punish, assist, and, occasionally, harm them.
• Program in Loudoun County, Virginia Reduces Recidivism in Teens (ReclaimingFutures.org)
  For over a decade now the Loudoun County, Virginia, School Based Probation (SBP) program has worked to reduce recidivism in teens and made impressive gains in combatting the school-to-prison pipeline. Since the program was instituted in the 2002-2003 school year, SBP has provided “a safety net to those students who might be tempted, through peer pressure or otherwise, to fall into delinquency patterns.”
• Juvenile Solitary Confinement: Modern-Day ‘Torture’ in the US (JJIE.org)
  As a 17-year-old, Michael Kemp says, he felt like a caged animal. For six months, his world was reduced to the size of a Washington, D.C., jail cell measuring maybe 8 feet by 10 feet. During much of his time in solitary confinement, he spent 23 hours a day alone in the cell.
• "Kids for Cash" Details a Disturbing Juvenile Court Kickback Scandal (DenverPost.com)
  Deeply shocking and continually surprising, "Kids for Cash" examines the scandal surrounding a Pennsylvania judge's draconian imprisonment of kids for minor hijinks, in exchange for kickbacks from a juvenile detention center.

Jobs, Grants, Events and Webinars

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Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment and Mental Health

• Commentary: Rx Summit Focuses on National Collaboration (Drugfree.org)
  "I am proud to be a part of the effort to help guide this national discussion. You, too, can let your voice be heard by participating in the third annual National Rx Drug Abuse Summit, to be held April 22-24, 2014, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Once again our National Advisory Board has assembled an exceptional line up featuring more than 100 presenters, and we will be offering an opportunity to receive approximately 20 continuing education credits for your time."
• Marijuana May Hurt The Developing Teen Brain (NPR.org)
  The teenager's brain has a lot of developing to do: It must transform from the brain of a child into the brain of an adult. Some researchers worry how marijuana might affect that crucial process.
• Adolescent Relationship Violence has Mental Health Implications for Victims, Perpetrators (MedicalXpress.com)
  Described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as "physical, sexual, or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse," intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue affecting millions of people in the United States. New research from sociologists at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) shows that adolescents and young adults who perpetrate or fall victim to IPV are more likely to experience an increase in symptoms of depression.

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.