Gender Injustice in America: A Therapeutic Wake-Up Call; News Roundup

Every week Reclaiming Futures rounds up the latest news on juvenile justice reform, adolescent substance use treatment, and teen mental health. 

Gender Injustice in America: A Therapeutic Wake-Up Call (Huffington Post)
Judge Lerner-Wren writes about the recent gender injustice report released by The National Crittenton Foundation as a "wake-up call," arguing that an evidence-based approach which focuses on the unique needs of girls should be applied throughout the entire juvenile justice system, and that this should be combined with trauma-informed court processes.

Supreme Court Considers Whether Ban on Mandatory JLWOP Should Be Retroactive (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange)
In the case of Montgomery v. Louisiana, The Supreme Court is ruling whether or not the ban on mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles (JLWOP) should be applicable retroactively. If the court rules in Montgomery's favor, prisoners nationwide become eligible for resentencing.

The Sexual-Abuse-to-Prison Pipeline (Education Week)
Gina Womack, Executive Director of Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children (FFLIC), talks about the recently released report, "The Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline: The Girls' Story," and how FFLIC is working to address these issues in Louisiana through rehabilitative practices such as "positive behavioral interventions and supports" (PBIS).

Should 11-year-olds be charged with adult crimes? (CNN)
A Tennessee prosecutor will decide whether an 11-year-old boy is to be charged as an adult with first-degree murder charges, after the boy fatally shot a young girl with his father's gun, which he obtained from an unlocked closet.

March calls for lower youth imprisonment (Yale Daily News)
On Sunday, Yale social justice activists, as well as activists and legislators from Greater New Haven, marched and demonstrated to demand new legislation that would bring reform to juvenile justice, and specifically fight the criminalization of youth of color.

Eight juvenile offenders to set sail across the Atlantic (Eye on Annapolis)
SailFuture has selected eight incarcerated youth to compete in a sailing race, as part  of its #SAILFORJUSTICE program, which provides an alternative to traditional incarceration.

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