Connecticut Advocates for Juvenile Justice; News Roundup

Juvenile Justice Reform

• High Cost, Young Age: Sentencing Youth to a Life of Debt (Huffington Post)
  When young people graduate from the juvenile justice system, they have, by any reasonable measure, repaid their debt to society. But one debt is not easily repaid: the hundreds and even thousands of dollars in fines, fees and restitution that young people and their families owe as a result of their cases.
• LGBTQ Youths Detained for Status Offenses Twice as Often as Others (JJIE.org)
  Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are twice as likely as other youngsters to be detained in a juvenile detention facility for status offenses, experts said.
• California Supreme Court Rules on Two Juvenile Justice Issues (The Sacramento Bee)
  The California Supreme Court on Thursday ruled a juvenile must have the consent of the defense lawyer to plead no contest to criminal charges.
• State's Criminal Justice System Needs 'Major' Reform, Utahns Say (KSL.com)
  Several Utahns concerned about the criminal justice system called the state "punitive" and said the system needs major reform.
• Connecticut Advocates for Juvenile Justice (Yale Daily News)
  Connecticut is working towards giving juvenile offenders serving lengthy sentences a second chance. The Connecticut Sentencing Commission is urging the state legislature to pass a bill that would give inmates who were convicted as juveniles serving lengthy sentences a chance for parole.

Jobs, Grants, Events and Webinars

• Please share the Reclaiming Futures Opportunity Board with your colleagues in the juvenile justice, adolescent substance abuse and teen mental health areas. It's free to browse and post!

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment and Mental Health

• Addressing Teen Drug Use (Claremore Daily Progress)
  According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), nationally, around 7 percent of children between ages 12 and 17 have a diagnosable substance abuse disorder.
• 4 Local Agencies Get Drug Prevention Funds (WKBN.com)
  Four local agencies were among 22 statewide to receive a share of $1.5 million to help strengthen school-based alcohol and other drug prevention programming for at-risk youth.
• Substance Abuse Treatment Much More Likely for Men: Report (Drugfree.org)
  A new government report finds twice as many adult men as women entered substance abuse treatment facilities in 2011.

Ashley Heinonen writes the Friday news roundup, opportunity board roundup, and contributes articles featuring information about juvenile justice reform to ReclaimingFutures.org. She graduated from Loyola Marymount University and is currently an assistant account executive for Prichard Communications.