Lessons of Whitney Houston's addiction and more -- news roundup.

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Time is ripe for reforms in juvenile justice
  New York Law Journal
  Important lessons from New York about reforming complex government systems. This is not the time to consider scaling back our commitment to community-based services for troubled youth.
• New Georgia juvenile code advancing in state legislature
  Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
  A long-planned overhaul of Georgia’s juvenile justice code got its first official nod of approval Wednesday, but backers still haven’t figured out how to pay for it.
• Youth Court Proposed for New York
  StarGazette
  The state's chief judge Tuesday proposed to create a new youth court that would adjudicate cases involving 16- and 17-year-olds who are charged with non-violent crimes.
• Kentucky House approves task force to overhaul juvenile code, decrease jailing for “status offenses”
  The Republic
  Kentucky lawmakers in the House on recently approved a measure to create a task force to rewrite the state's juvenile code. The task force also would look for overall ways to reduce the incarceration of juveniles, ways to provide more treatment in the community and ways to use any savings for more services for juveniles.
• Georgia eyes ways to keep teens out of lockup
  New England Cable News
  Georgia law allows adolescents who wind up in the juvenile court system for infractions such as skipping school or missing curfew to be treated similar to juveniles who commit crimes and are locked in detention centers, said Dr. Sandra Stone, vice president of academic affairs at Dalton State and a researcher on juvenile justice reform.
• Virginia Senate committee rejects administration-backed bill to try more juveniles as adults
  The Republic
  A Senate committee on Monday rejected legislation backed by Gov. Bob McDonnell that would have resulted in more juveniles being tried in adult court.
• New York Governor wants incarcerated juveniles ‘close to home’
  Legislative Gazette
  Gov. Andrew Cuomo continues to build on reforms to the state's juvenile justice system by proposing the "Close to Home" initiative which would allow New York City's youth to be treated in facilities near their homes.

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

• The strange lessons of Whitney Houston's addiction
  The Atlantic
  When writer, Elizabeth Wurtzel, was in the rehabilitative treatment center she heard that one in 35 addicts will get and stay clean and sober.

• Oklahoma legislators propose raising legal age to buy tobacco to 21
  Join Together
  The legal age to purchase tobacco would gradually rise from 18 to 21 in Oklahoma under a bill proposed by state legislators. The age limit would rise to 19 in 2013, 20 in 2014, and 21 in 2015.
• Almost half of college student substance abuse treatment admissions involve alcohol
  The Partnership at DrugFree.org
  Almost half of all admissions for substance abuse treatment that involve college students are primarily related to alcohol, according to a new government report.
• New study documents Joe Camel-like tactics to transform youth drinking behavior
  The Partnership at DrugFree.org
  Underage drinkers have made a dramatic shift in the last decade. Beer, once the beverage of choice for young people, is being replaced by distilled spirits, particularly “white” drinks including vodka, tequila and rum.
• Legalization of marijuana and the impact on children
  Join Together
  In many state legislatures around the country, or by ballot (direct voter) referendum, important decisions are or will be made as to legalization of marijuana in some form. Before voters cast their ballots, or their elected officials decide, think about what will happen to children if marijuana becomes accessible to adults, much like alcohol.
• Pot legalization efforts forge ahead in key states
  Reuters
  Efforts to legalize marijuana for recreational use are gaining momentum in Washington state and Colorado, despite fierce opposition from the federal government and a decades-long cultural battle over America's most commonly used illicit drug.

Jobs

• Department of Juvenile Justice and Deliquency Prevention seeks a Reclaiming Futures trainer in Raleigh, North Carolina
• National Juvenile Justice Network seeks a fiscal policy center program associate in Washington, DC

Events

• TELECONFERENCE: A participatory justice approach to violent crime
  Young men of color are the most likely to be victims of violent crime -- but they're particularly unlikely to receive services in the aftermath. What would a juvenile justice system look like that addressed their needs? When: February 27, 2012 at 1 pm (EST)
• WEBINAR: Implementing effective institutional-based cognitive behavioral interventions
  This National Reentry Resource Center webinar will help policymakers and practitioners better understand how to design and implement “behind-the-wall” treatment programs that research has proven effective. When: February 29, 2012 at 2 pm (EST)
• WEBINAR: The promise of juvenile drug courts
  During this interactive web workshop, NCJFCJ will discuss the foundations of a well built juvenile drug court, exploring the purpose of this special docket and how it aims to address some challenging system issues and how a juvenile drug court can improve responses and outcomes for court-involved youth with substance abuse problems. This session is a great introduction to the juvenile drug court concept for jurisdictions just starting out or for new team members in an existing JDC. When: February 29, 2012 from 10:30 am -12 pm (PST)
• EVENT: 12th annual access to equal justice conference:
  Evolving Standards in Juvenile Justice: From Gault to Graham and Beyond, sponsored by the Clinical Legal Education Program and hosted by the Juvenile Rights and Re-Entry Project of the Civil Justice Clinic, will focus on the past, present and future of juvenile justice. The goal is to engage theoretical and practical issues for youth advocates while building and sharing expertise on the national, regional and local levels. When: March 23, 2012 Where: St. Louis, Missouri
• EVENT: Positive Results: How Positive Youth Development Can Change Juvenile Justice When: March 29, 2012 from 1-5 pm (EST) Where: Boston, Mass
• WEBINAR: Using sober support groups in juvenile drug courts
  During this interactive web workshop, NCJFCJ will discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of using traditional sober support groups (AA or NA) with juvenile drug court clients. The session will highlight key points in case law, provide guidelines for choosing and using sober support groups and offer alternatives to the traditional models for sober support. When March 28, 2012 from 10:30 - 12:00 pm PST
• National RX drug abuse summit  This summit will bring impacted parties together to address the prescription drug abuse epidemic. Conference programming is designed to convey a synergistic approach to include: prevention, education, treatment, law enforcement, health care providers, advocates, and human resources – among other impacted parties. When: April 10-12, 2012 Where: Orlando, FL
• SYMPOSIUM: Ripples of justice, the impact of criminal justice policies on minority communities 
  This conference will explore the long-term impact of criminal justice policies on the home communities, with a focus on: (1) employment and economic impact; (2) civic engagement and political power; (3) families and children; and (4) policing and public safety. In addition to four plenary sessions, the conference will feature a keynote address from Professor Paul Butler and meaningful opportunities to share ideas. When: April 27, 2012 Where: New York City, NY

Lori Howell is a Senior Associate at Prichard Communications. She is a seasoned public affairs practitioner with a background in public policy, fundraising, and education. Lori helps clients with online editorial services, media relations, and publications. Before joining Prichard Communications, she served as chief of staff for Greg Macpherson, a former Oregon state legislator, an account executive for the Northwest Evaluation Association, a nonprofit educational testing consortium, and once taught English in Choshi, Japan.