Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

Forsyth County’s juvenile drug-treatment court celebrated its first three graduates in April. The Forsyth County juvenile drug-treatment court started in January 2013 and is geared toward nonviolent youths ages 12 to 16 who have substance abuse problems and have been sentenced to probation in juvenile court.
The goal of the program is to give participants a chance at a better life, ultimately reducing recidivism. Juanita Campbell, grandmother of one of the graduates, celebrated the program for this mission:
“I thank God for this program because I don’t want to give him to the streets,” Campbell said. “I don’t want to bury him. I don’t want him to spend 30 years in prison.”
Participants are required to remain in school, perform 25 hours of community service, and are subject to random drug testing. It typically takes nine to 15 months to graduate from the program, with assessments every 90 days to monitor the teens’ progress.
Forsyth County Court works with the local Reclaiming Futures to carry out assessments. Jemi Sneed, project director of Reclaiming Futures, said all participants are assessed to determine what type of substance abuse and other treatment they need, and then directed to the most appropriate treatment.

On Sunday, NBC’s Dateline aired an in-depth look at Mercer County, Michigan’s drug courts. The piece, featuring Adult and Juvenile Drug Court Judge “Scary Mary” Chrzanowski, followed the stories of three individuals, whose addictions landed them in drug court, for an entire year.
The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) further explains why this riveting piece is so important:

While the story is a profile of just one of over 2,800 Drug Courts in the United States, it underscores two important issues critical to the public’s understanding of all Drug Courts. First, the individuals profiled in the piece, no matter their original charge, were given the option of Drug Court because they were assessed and shown to meet the clinical criteria for drug-dependence. Once they were admitted, the Drug Court team worked tirelessly to keep them in the program and deal with relapse and other issues that arose along the way.

Dateline will post the full episode here later this week. For now you can watch and share select clips on NBC’s website, or watch the teaser below.

As many students graduated across the county in May and June, the Honorable Anthony Capizzi congratulated youth during a different kind of commencement. On May 15, 2014, Montgomery County Juvenile Court celebrated the journey to sobriety of 15 youth along with their families. Judge Capizzi indicated that for some youth and families, the journey was lengthy with many obstacles; for others, the goal of completing Drug Court was swift and certain. Regardless of the path traveled by youth to their graduation date, Judge Capizzi, the Drug Court case managers and counselors never gave up on them. More importantly, the youth and families never gave up on themselves. Two families gave testimonials that Montgomery County Juvenile Drug Court not only facilitated their children’s sobriety but also directly impacted or led to the parents’ sobriety at the same time.
Singer/community activist Vaughn Anthony Stephens was the guest speaker for graduation. Vaughn Anthony has traveled the world singing background for his brother, John Legend. He has also performed solo and collaborated with stars such as Rick Ross, Robin Thicke, Ghostface, Estelle and many others. Currently Vaughn Anthony is launching his own non-profit corporation, the “Be About it Movement,” in his hometown of Springfield, Ohio. Vaughn Anthony provided an inspirational and encouraging message for youth to remain disciplined and focused on their sobriety.
As a special surprise for graduation, Ohio Governor John Kasich and Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor sent representatives to recognize the accomplishments of Montgomery County’s Drug Court youth. Assistant Senior Policy Advisors Angie Lee and Lisa Hayes presented all graduating youth with Certificates of Achievement signed by Governor Kasich and Lieutenant Governor Taylor. A special recognition was also presented to Judge Anthony Capizzi for his commitment to Drug Court and the youth of Montgomery County. The Resolution presented to Judge Capizzi from Governor Kasich and Lieutenant Governor Taylor recognizes his unwavering support of the Drug Court program.
The Montgomery County Juvenile Drug Court, led by Judge Anthony Capizzi, the Drug Court case managers and staff, and the families and friends of the youth in the program are commended for their work to make their community a safer place to live, work and raise a family.
 
 
 
 
 

This year two Reclaiming Futures fellows, Judge Anthony Capizzi, Reclaiming Futures Montgomery County Judicial Fellow and Reclaiming Futures Judicial Faculty, and Lilas Rajaee, project director of Reclaiming Futures Denver, have been nominated for the Goldstein Hall of Fame.
The Honorable Judge Stanley M. Goldstein was the first Drug Court judge in the nation. In recognition of Judge Goldstein's example, expertise, and leadership, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) named the Drug Court Hall of Fame in his honor. From the NADCP website:

In 1989, the first Drug Court was established in Miami, Florida, to process criminal cases of substance-abusing offenders through comprehensive supervision, testing, treatment, sanctions and incentives.
Judge Goldstein's untiring efforts epitomize the qualities this award seeks to honor in each of its recipients. NADCP inaugurated the "Stanley M. Goldstein Drug Court Hall of Fame" in January 2003.

Congratulations to Judge Capizzi and Lilas Rajaee for all of your tireless work.

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Juvenile Justice in Illinois: A Data Snapshot [PDF] (Chicago Youth Justice Data Project)
  Nationally, there’s been a steady decrease in the rate of violent crime committed by juveniles over the past fifteen years.
• Webinar | Using Social Impact Bonds to Improve Juvenile Justice Outcomes (NJJN.org) 
  Find out what has been learned about social impact bonds and how they should be structured for best results in our May 27, 2014 webinar, "Using Social Impact Bonds to Improve Juvenile Justice Outcomes," presented by John Roman, Ph.D., a national expert on social impact bonds.
• Removing Youth From the Adult Criminal Justice System: A Win-Win Situation (NCCD.org)
  Incarcerating youth in adult jails and prisons is the most expensive option for the juvenile justice system and unfailingly produces the worst results.
• Local Juvenile Probation GED Program Shows Higher Success Rate (WacoTrib.com)
  McLennan County students who stay at the Bill Logue Juvenile Justice Center for longer than 90 days have a higher chance of graduating with a GED or earning high school credit than the majority of incarcerated students across the country, according to a Southern Education Foundation report.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and proactive organizations like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are doing their part to recognize its importance by supporting and assembling local underage drinking prevention initiatives.

Underage drinking kills approximately 4,700 youth a year, among many other tragic consequences, and prevention is crucial to reduce the negative impacts it has on families and communities.

This is the fifth year SAMHSA has sponsored national Town Hall Meetings that have proven effective to achieve the following:

• Educating community members about the consequences of underage drinking.
• Empowering communities to make environmental changes to prevent underage drinking.
• Mobilizing communities around underage drinking prevention initiatives at the local, state, and national levels.

More than 2,000 communities across the nation will be hosting these meetings to coincide with Alcohol Awareness Month, and anyone interested is welcome—and encouraged—to attend and join their community in observance of this problem that affects us all.
Hear an important message from Frances M. Harding, Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, on why you should attend Town Hall Meetings this month!

Juvenile Justice Reform

• PACE Embracing the Needs of Girls, Looks to Expand Beyond Florida (JJIE.org)
  PACE Center for Girls was called "the most effective program in the nation for keeping adolescent girls out of the juvenile justice system” by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in its 2008 Kids Count report.
• Inside Calif. Juvenile Hall, Rare Glimpse at Solitary Confinement Cells (The Center for Investigative Reporting)
  Although solitary confinement for extended periods is considered one of the most psychologically damaging forms of punishment – particularly for teenagers – no one knows how many juveniles are held alone in cells in California.
• Juvenile Justice System Not Meeting Educational Needs, Report Says (Education Week)
  Many of the teenagers who enter juvenile-justice systems with anger problems, learning disabilities, and academic challenges receive little or no special help for those issues, and consequently fall further behind in school, a report released Thursday concludes.

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Study Looks at Kids Who Do Time For Offenses That Aren’t Crimes (The Washington Post)
  The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) has an interesting report out on the detainment and incarceration of juveniles for “status offenses,” or offenses that wouldn’t be crimes if the juveniles were adults.
• Florida Law, Used in Jacksonville, 'Violates International Human Rights Obligations,' Rights Group Declares (The Florida Times-Union)
  Nearly 40 percent of juveniles prosecuted as adults in Florida in the past five years were charged with property crimes rather than violent offenses, according to a report released Thursday by the international rights group Human Rights Watch.
• A House Divided No More: Common Cause for Juvenile Justice Advocates, Victim Advocates, and Communities (NJJN.org)
  Our juvenile justice system fails everyone—it fails youth because it rarely holds them accountable with age-appropriate responses known to be effective at changing behavior, and it fails to provide victims of crime with adequate support services that can help them return to healthy, productive lives.
• Fed Gov’t Sues Ohio Juvenile System (Sandusky Register)
  The U.S. Department of Justice and Ohio officials have reached an agreement that will reduce the amount of time spent in isolation by young people in state juvenile correctional facilities.

Did you know that Reclaiming Futures has a LinkedIn group? Becoming a member lets you stay on top of the latest news related to juvenile justice reform and adolescent substance abuse treatment, participate in thought-provoking discussions, and connect with peers and thought leaders in the industry. All you have to do is visit our Juvenile Justice Reform and Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment LinkedIn group and request to join.
Our group will be especially beneficial if you are a:

• Policy maker or legislator
• Professional in the field of juvenile justice or adolescent substance abuse treatment
• Family or youth advocate

September 2014 is still several months away, but SAMHSA is already busy preparing for the 25th anniversary of Recovery Month. The trailer below gives a sneak preview of what was accomplished in 2013, along with a look ahead to 2014's Recovery Month.  

Learn more about how you can help support Recovery Month 2014 >>