Blog: Disability

Mental Health and Safe Communities Act Introduced in the U.S. Senate; News Roundup

By Anonymous, August 07 2015

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

Mental Health and Safe Communities Act Introduced in the U.S. Senate (The Council of State Governments Justice Center)
On Wednesday U.S. Sen. John Cornyn introduced the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act of 2015, which is designed to improve outcomes for individuals with mental health disorders who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The hope is that this bill will address the prevalence of mental illness in jails, the exacerbation of disorders while incarcerated, as well as the resulting cost to taxpayers.

Topics: Adolescent Mental Health, Disability, Juvenile Justice Reform, Missouri, Native American, News, School-to-Prison Pipeline, schools

Why Schools Over-Discipline Children With Disabilities; News Roundup

By Anonymous, July 31 2015

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

Why Schools Over-Discipline Children With Disabilities (The Atlantic)
As the U.S. Department of Education celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the high rate at which special-needs students are disciplined raises questions about the current state of equal access to services like public education. Some researchers and advocates refer to this issue as "the discipline gap," and data from the Department of Education finds that the disparity increases when race is added.

Topics: ADA, Adolescent Mental Health, Disability, education, Juvenile Justice Reform, lgbt, NCJFCJ, News, school discipline, schools, teens