Roundup: Research Says Juvenile Justice Systems Make Boys Recidivate; Addiction Treatment Resources; and More

Juvenile Justice Reform News

• Last year, the results of a a 20-year study in Canada showed that contact with the juvenile justice system makes boys more likely to commit crimes as adults. But according to a Youth Today article [subscription required], other researchers are coming up with similar conclusions. The question is, as the author of the article asks, what will juvenile justice system policy makers do about it?
• • UPDATE Feb. 2, 2011: Despite research such as this, A&E's recent reality TV show, "Beyond Scared Straight," purposely increases teens' contact with adult prison inmates in an attempt to terrify them into “going straight." Turns out doing nothing is actually more effective than this strategy. Check out these facts about the program from the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ).

• Last week, a New York judge sharply limited the use of shackles when teens are in juvenile court (or in transit to or from court). This week, the state's Office of Children and Family Services issued a memo prohibiting "shackles from being used under any circumstances for youths held at so-called nonsecure and limited-secure youth prisons. Those facilities typically hold youths who have committed nonviolent offenses equivalent to misdemeanors." Unions have protested because the the new policy goes beyond the scope of the original court ruling. 
• New York's youth prison system may be in the headlines right now, but a USA Today article indicates that such prisons are being scrutinized across the country for similar problems: "overreliance on physical restraint and insufficient mental health services," at an unsustainable economic cost. 
• Vera Institute of Justice has a five-part interview with Steve Aos of the Washington Public Policy Institute on "Informing Justice Policy with Cost-Benefit Analysis."

 
Addiction Treatment Resources

• Interested in a quick primer on integrating substance abuse and mental health treatment services? Check out these three issues of the Northwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center's (NWATTC) Addiction Messenger newsletter:
• Part 1 helps you assess your agency's ability to provide integrated care to clients with dual diagnoses.
• Part 2 reviews how screening, assessment, and treatment planning should be integrated.
• Part 3 reviews effective care for dually-diagnosed clients.

(By the way, all of these newsletter issues are also available in Spanish.)

• Faces and Voices of Recovery has a great list of recovery support resources, with an emphasis on peer support. They're not teen-specific, but several are family-focused. 
• The Partnership for a Drug Free America has a new community-based alcohol and drug education program for teens called "wreckED."  Be sure to check out the video of various teens telling their stories of use, abuse, and addiction.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) TIP 39 -- Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy -- is now available in Spanish, courtesy of the Caribbean Basin and Hispanic Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC).
• SAMHSA announced its 10 strategic initiatives under its new administrator, Pam Hyde, and released data on national treatment services from its 2008 national survey. (Hat tip for the latter to Recovery Month.)

 
Grants, Educational Opportunities, and Conferences

• Apply now for SAMHSA's Access to Recovery (ATR) grants. Only Single-State Substance Abuse Agencies (SSAs) and highest-ranking officials of tribes or tribal organizations are eligible to apply. Grants may focus on teens or youth populations; the deadline is March 10, 2010. (Hat tip to ATTC Network.)
• The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) is holding its annual conference in San Antonio, TX on May 22-25, 2010.
• The ATTC hosted a 2-hour workshop, entitled "Methods for Disseminating Evidence-Based Treatments from the Frontlines of Community Treatment Programs." For a small fee, you can view a video of the presentation, take a quiz, and receive 3 NAADAC contact credit hours.
• Not long ago, Shay Bilchik posted here on "Addressing Disporportionality in the Juvenile Justice and child Welfare Systems." Now comes news that the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR), which Mr. Bilchik directs, is offering a certificate program at Georgetown University for leaders in the juvenile justice and child welfare arenas on integrating their work. The program is a "weeklong program of intensive study for public agency leaders responsible for policy/practice development and implementation in their jurisdictions," and will be held July 9-15, 2010. Partial subsidies may be available to defray tuition costs. Applications are due March 24, 2010.