MJDA

Not wanting to hammer all teens with harsh penalties when they are caught sending nude photographs, the Ohio House voted unanimously on Wednesday to support a lesser penalty for young first-time offenders.

Jul 2

Jul 2 Centre for Community Alternatives executive director David Condliffe talks youth justice in Bendigo

“The way we begin is with a very comprehensive mitigation report,” the organisation’s head, David Condliffe, said. In the case of one young man accused of a violent gang assault, compiling an intensive psychosocial profile took a worker a month and came at a cost of $10,000. Mr Condliffe told attendees at a function at Bendigo’s Ulumbarra Theatre today the expense was worth it.

Jul 2

Jul 2 To keep juveniles behind bars for life, Brauchler abandons rule of law

Last Tuesday, I had the honor of representing a convicted felony murderer before the Colorado Supreme Court. He is guilty as charged, and an innocent man is dead. But there is so much more to the story.

Jul 2

Jul 2 Former teacher at Juvenile Center speaks out

The following is An Open Letter to Government Officials On the Investigation of Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center. The News Leader is publishing it in its entirety.

Jul 2

Jul 2 Report: Many Child Trafficking Victims End up Detained

A newspaper investigation has found that one in five victims of possible child trafficking in Kansas are placed in juvenile detention, a process that experts say hampers the effort to heal them.

Jul 2

Jul 2 Iran: UN rights chief ‘deeply disturbed’ by continuing executions of juvenile offenders

International News, Juvenile Justice News

Following the execution of a 15-year-old in Iran on Wednesday – the fourth juvenile to be put to death in the country this year – the United Nations rights chief condemned the practice, citing the strict prohibition of such executions under international law.

Jun 25

Jun 25 Outraged By Kids In Cages? Look At Our Entire Juvenile Justice System.

Trump’s reversal this week is progress; it’s a step in the right direction away from the inhumanity that the nation witnessed at the border. But let’s also be clear: There are vulnerable kids in cages in every state across America whose cases will not be affected by the president’s new order. In fact, on any given day there are approximately 50,000 juveniles being held in American correctional facilities, thousands of whom are in adult jails and prisons.

Jun 18

Jun 18 Progress in Juvenile Justice: 2017

Like many of the challenges facing the nation’s collective corrections system, such as overcrowding and sentencing disparities, these issues arose mostly in response to the “get tough on crime” political environment that emerged in the 1980s in response to rising crime rates and spreading drug-related violence. The pendulum has begun to swing back toward moderation, and in 2017 several state legislatures passed significant reforms to their juvenile justice systems.

Jun 14

Jun 14 Juvenile Facility Data Added to Statistical Briefing Book

Research Topics

OJJDP has updated its Statistical Briefing Book to include national and state data from the 2016 Juvenile Residential Facility Census.

Resources include:

A Data Snapshot describing facility screening practices and service availability.
The Juvenile Residential Facility Census Databook.
Frequently Asked Questions about facility characteristics and facility practices and services.

Developed for OJJDP by the National Center for Juvenile Justice, the research division of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the Statistical Briefing Book offers easy online access to statistics on a variety of juvenile justice topics.

Jun 13

Jun 13 Michigan Juvenile Justice Reforms, Delayed by Larry Nassar Bills, Could Move in Fall

Local News

In a sad twist of irony, Michigan legislators and advocates hoping to improve the state’s juvenile justice system ran out of time this year because of how long it took to address one of the biggest child abuse scandals in American history.

Jun 13

Jun 13 Illinois House weighs bill to allow young adult misdemeanor cases to be heard in juvenile court

ROCKFORD — Young adults charged with misdemeanor crimes could have their cases transferred to juvenile court under legislation being considered by the Illinois House.

A bill co-sponsored by state Rep. Litesa Wallace, D-Rockford, would give judges the authority to decide whether 18-, 19- and 20-year-old defendants should have their misdemeanor cases heard in juvenile court.

Jun 13

Jun 13 They knew she was a suicide risk. Girl, 15, was still able to hang herself in the lockup.

Alleny Carbone was 15 when she took her own life Sunday in the Manatee juvenile lockup.

Jun 12

Jun 12 Schools resolve conflicts by getting kids to talk things out

Ideas and Opinions, Viewing Recommendations

Schools across the country are moving away from an era of zero-tolerance policies and shifting toward methods that involve restorative justice, encouraging students to resolve their differences by talking to each other rather than resorting to violence. In New York City, five schools that have implemented this system are already seeing results. NewsHour Weekend's Megan Thompson reports.

Jun 12

Jun 12 STL County reports reduction of racial disparity in juvenile justice, shows compliance with federal court order

A report released by the St. Louis County Family Court shows that the court is making progress in addressing racial disparities for young people in the justice system, complying with a court order by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2015.

Jun 8

Jun 8 From Chaos To Calm: A Life Changed By Ketamine

Research Topics

For six years now, life has been really good for James. He has a great job as the creative director of an advertising firm in New York City. He enjoys spending time with his wife and kids.

And it has all been possible, he says, because for the past six years he has been taking a drug called ketamine.

Jun 8

Jun 8 Suicide rates are up 30 percent since 1999, CDC says

National News

Only half of people who died by suicide had diagnosed mental health conditions.

Jun 8

Jun 8 All eyes on Canada as first G7 nation prepares to make marijuana legal

International News

From crime to health to business, Canada’s decision to legalize marijuana is a grand progressive experiment that promises to answer a host of questions

Jun 4

Jun 4 Transforming Juvenile Justice Systems to Improve Public Safety and Youth Outcomes

Reading Recommendations, Research Topics

Juvenile justice systems have undoubtedly made extraordinary improvements over the past two decades—incarceration rates have been cut in half nationwide; juvenile arrest rates remain at historical lows; and, in alignment with what research shows works to improve outcomes for youth, the majority of states have adopted data-driven tools and evidence-based programming. But other measures tell a more complex story: in spite of recent gains, most juvenile justice systems are still not operating as effectively as possible.

Jun 4

Jun 4 HOW SAN QUENTIN INMATES BUILT A SEARCH ENGINE FOR PRISON