Florida’s School-to-Prison Pipeline Is Largest in the Nation; News Roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Smart Justice Reforms are Gaining Popularity for Juveniles in Jacksonville (Jacksonville.com)
  Growing frustration and dissatisfaction over how juvenile delinquents are treated in Jacksonville, Florida has inspired a new coalition of activist groups to press for reform.
• Study Recommends Extending Illinois Juvenile Court Jurisdiction to Include 17-year-olds Charged with Felony Offenses (ModelsforChange.net)
  After examining the impact of a 2010 state law that places 17-year-olds in juvenile courts for misdemeanor charges but in adult criminal court for felony charges, the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission has issued a report recommending an end to the practice in the interest of fairness and public safety.
• New National Standards For Legal Defense Could Help Juveniles (JJIE.org)
  It happens too often in court systems around the country. A teenager is charged with a crime. His family can’t afford a lawyer, but the court won’t assign him one until he can prove a lack of funds.
• Florida’s School-to-Prison Pipeline Is Largest in the Nation (Colorlines.com)
  It used to be that getting in a schoolyard fight meant a trip to the principal’s office—detention, maybe. But in Florida, more than any other state, that schoolyard fight can lead to the student’s arrest and even felony charges. Last year 12,000 students were arrested 13,870 times in Florida public schools, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

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Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment and Mental Health

• Children of Women With Alcohol Disorder in Pregnancy Have Greater SIDS Risk (Drugfree.org)
  Children whose mothers are diagnosed with an alcohol disorder in pregnancy, or within a year after giving birth, are three times more likely to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), compared with infants whose mothers do not have an alcohol disorder, a new study finds.
• [VIDEO] FOX 5 Investigates: Teen Prescription Drug Abuse (MyFoxDC.com)
  It's an epidemic that's getting kids hooked and the consequences could be lethal. The number of teens using and abusing prescription drugs has exploded. They are passing out pills at parties and sharing with friends. Experts say the cocktail of drugs and alcohol is a deadly game.
• Helping Youth and Turning Lives Around through Education (WhiteHouse.gov)
  "Throughout my career as a law enforcement officer specializing in juvenile issues, I have seen first-hand the consequences of drug use on our young people. Drugs can ruin lives and lead to a multitude of other problems, such as school apathy and low self-esteem. This creates an endless cycle."
   

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.