Juvenile Justice Reform

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment News

• A "vaccine" to treat cocaine addiction appears to be on the horizon.

• Want national data on adolescent treatment admissions? Check out a new report from SAMHSA on substance abuse treatment admissions.

Juvenile Justice-Related News

• More evidence, if any were needed, that the schools have to part of our crime prevention efforts: drop out of high school, and you stand a good chance of ending up in jail or detention -- especially if you're a young black male.
• A secure juvenile justice facility in Florida is still struggling with reform, despite past attempts to reform it in 1909, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1920, 1921, 1953, 1963, 1968, 1976, 1982 & 2007 ... 

How the Juvenile Justice and Criminal Justice Systems Criminalize the Poor
Check out this brief, eloquent piece from the Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity site by Tracy Velázquez, Executive Director of the Justice Policy, on the ways that the criminal and juvenile justice systems disproportionately swallow up the poor -- for the same or similar crimes committed by more affluent people.

The recipe necessary to reclaim the lives of youth that have penetrated the juvenile justice system begins in our own kitchens. One part parents, one part community, a dash of judicial intervention (to taste) and we have a life that is once again shining and full of promise. 
 
Case in point: on September 10, 2009, the Greene County Juvenile Drug Treatment Court (JDTC) -- click on the photo at left for a larger view of our team1 -- successfully graduated one of our youth, due to the engagement of the youth and family, the commitment from the JDTC team, and the overall support from the community in Greene County. This commencement represented a very important milestone for a young man who continually demonstrated a willingness to make positive changes in his life.

• Want to do something about juvenile justice reform right now? Then you should know that Act4JJ, a coalition supporting the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), is now on Facebook. (So is Reclaiming Futures, by the way: come on by and become a fan!)
• Interested in holding a conference on disseminating evidence-based practices in mental health and/or substance abuse? SAMHSA has two $50,000 grants available to help you do it. (Hat tip to the ATTC Network.)

There are rumblings throughout the country about racism right now. People are wondering what the implications of racism are, if it still exists, how much it affects and to what extent. These are the kinds of discussions we should be having as a nation. They are long overdue and the results of such discussions would be a welcome change to the silence and the ability of this country to ignore what is plain and evident. Yet it seems they're slow to begin and could go on for decades before we see any real change.
Now there are some in this country that can afford to wait as the discussion begins; on the other hand, those that are most affected by and involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems do not have the luxury of waiting. We must take action today, at every opportunity in the future, and be prepared to create opportunities on the days when there are none!
We're lucky in that we have the facts that are indisputable to serve as the starting point for this work. Our country has an addiction to incarceration and based on the staggering statistics of that addiction, it's one we can no longer afford. Secondly, the criminal and juvenile justice systems are inundated with the appalling history of racism in the US. The focus of our discussion should be, "What are we going to do about it?"
 
If we assume we can no longer wait for the leaders in our field and in our communities to spearhead the work, then the answers we seek lie within us. Are you waiting for change to come or are you willing to roll up your sleeves and push for the change? If you were waiting for the right time, I believe we are there.

Know any kids in the juvenile justice system with parents who're interested in juvenile justice reform?
The Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) is hosting its National Parent Caucus call today, October 2nd, at 2pm EST / 11 am PST. Interested parties should call 1.866.670.5105 and enter the code 448194#.
 
The call will focus on ways you can spend an hour or less helping to "get the Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Act (JJDPA) moved out of committee and passed." The call wlil also provide a "brief training on wealth and power and what this has to do with us and our work."
 
Apologies for the late notice on this - but this is a great opportunity to involve parents in juvenile justice reform. (Photo by seychelles88.)

• Startling news from the Centers for Disease Control that in 16 states, the number of people who die from prescription drug overdoses outnumbers the number who die in car accidents.
• Simple Explanation Department: Reseachers in Britain have used longitudinal data to show that children who eat too much candy are more likely to be violent later in life. For further reading: the American Journal of Preventive Medicine had a special 2008 issue on youth violence prevention.

Curious about whether the risk assessments used in the juvenile justice system are appropriate for girls? Wonder if the one used in your jurisdiction measures up?
The Girls Study Group, set up by The Office of Juvenile Delinquency and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), recently examined 143 juvenile risk assessment instruments with those very questions in mind, and compiled their results in an online database.
This is timely, given that a recent study by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency indicated that risk assessments have gotten less effective in recent years, and an article in a journal last year that argued that juvenile risk assessments lagged behind research on how best to use them. (Photo by Thuy Pham.)

"I really didn't even have a clue what a goal was, but to just get high. And now I have real goals ..."
So says David, age 17, one of five residents in this 10-minute video about New York City's Outreach House, a residential treatment center aimed at helping youth in the justice system change their behavior.
It's an eloquent testimonial to the fact that youth can and do change and an example of good storytelling to make a point about youth in the juvenile justice system.

Curious about the presence, extent, or characteristics of local youth gang problems?
No worries - the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has your back. An updated version of OJJDP's National Youth Gang Survey (NYGS) is now available on the web site of the Institute for Intergovernmental Research. Available data include annual numbers of gangs and gang members from 1996 through 2007, the change in the number of gang-problem jurisdictions from 2002 to 2007, and gang member demographics.