Massachusetts Senate Votes UNANIMOUSLY to Pass Raise the Age Bill; News Roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• Massachusetts Senate Votes UNANIMOUSLY to Pass Raise the Age Bill (CFJJ News)
  "We wanted to share the exciting news that the Massachusetts Senate voted unanimously today (40-0) in favor of legislation to raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to include seventeen year olds! We are tremendously grateful to all of you for all of your calls, emails, letters, and support over the entire campaign."
• Calls For Juvenile Justice Reform Grow In Florida (WJCT.org)
  The calls for juvenile justice reform in Florida are growing, as advocates turn to research to prove that more robust juvenile diversion programs for first-time offenders can prevent kids from dropping out of school.
• Renewed Push to Raise Age of Being Tried as Adult (NYTimes.com)
  Democratic state lawmakers, community leaders and rights advocates on Thursday renewed a push to raise to 18 the age at which a defendant can be tried as an adult in New York.
• More Flexibility in Juvenile Court (News-Gazette.com)
  Juvenile courts in Illinois now will be trusted with handling the cases of some minors previously tried as adults. It's a good thing that the cases against most 17-year-olds arrested for misdemeanors and felonies will be resolved in juvenile court beginning Jan. 1.

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Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment and Mental Health

• One More Reason To Stay In School: Dropouts More Likely To Lead Lives Punctuated By Crime, Substance Abuse (MedicalDaily.com)
  School attendance at a young age is crucial for an individual's social and emotional development. It allows children to be around peers, form friendships and connections, and work toward their future. But as we get older, school may not be for all of us — some of us may prefer to work with our hands, and some may prefer to live life free of assessments and deadlines. A new study indicates that a high school education, at least, is necessary to lead young adults down the right path.
• Sleep Problems and Substance Use Disorders: An Often Overlooked Link (Drugfree.org)
  Sleep problems and substance use disorders often go together, according to a specialist who says many people continue to have insomnia even after they are able to successfully stop abusing drugs and alcohol.
• Girls Abuse Drugs at Higher Rates Than Boys, Face Greater Risk Factors (HoltviewTribune.com)
  Girls booked into Juvenile Hall in San Diego County abuse drugs at substantially higher rates than their male counterparts and face greater risk factors for delinquency, according to a new study released today by the SANDAG Criminal Justice Research Division.

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.