NASHVILLE, Tenn. (localmemphis.com) - Get to troubled kids early and don't lose them in the criminal system. Those are among the final recommendations released late this week from a Tennessee juvenile justice task force.

Deputy executive steps up to look at reaching goal of keeping youth out of jail

CHICAGO, Aug. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Landmark juvenile justice reform legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Bruce Rauner will clear roadblocks to success for tens of thousands of Illinoisans whose youthful mistakes have restricted access to education, jobs, and housing.

Juveniles accused of minor offenses in New Orleans will get written warnings or summons to appear in court rather than be arrested and taken to a detention facility, under an ordinance the City Council unanimously approved Thursday (Aug. 24).

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Oscar- and Grammy-award-winning rapper “Common” was on a tight schedule Tuesday, in an uncommon setting—the state Capitol.

State Attorney Aramis Ayala is making changes to cases involving juveniles.

Orange County, Fla., leads the state in juvenile arrests, according to data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. The majority of those arrests are felonies charged to black boys. In this five-part series, 90.7 WMFE reporter Renata Sago (@renatasago) documents Orange County's complex system for handling kids who commit crimes. The stories are told through the lens of three black men who were charged with felonies as children.

WASHINGTON — Taj Jackson dreamed of college after graduating from a Maryland high school in 2014, but didn’t think his family—headed by a single mother who worked multiple jobs—could afford it.

New Orleans youth who commit misdemeanor offenses could receive warnings or summonses to appear in court with a guardian, under a proposed ordinance aimed at preventing young people from entering, and often re-entering, the criminal justice system after an arrest.

The dual credit program is a collaboration between the county and Elgin Community College. Libby Roeger, the college's dean of college transitions and developmental education, said she wants the collaboration to expand beyond the two entities, bringing other community colleges into the fray.

There has been a surge recently, across the U.S., in the number of children entering the foster care system after years of a decline. In Georgia, the number of children in foster care has doubled over the last three years.

Following four escapes in as many months, two local juvenile detention centers run by the same company will see more staff, some outside help from law enforcement and ratcheted up security.