Member and Partner News:
- "Trail 'em, Nail 'em, Jail 'em: How We Treat Mental Illness," by David Muhammad of the California Alliance for Youth and Community Justice and the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (both NJJN members). The Huffington Post, August 26, 2015: In this op-ed, David Muhammad highlights the deep, systemic issues with both the mental health and criminal justice systems that lead to the criminalization of mental illness in the U.S. He also introduces a new film series, "Criminalizing Mental Health," which focuses on the same issues. View the series here.
- NJJN members the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and the Youth Justice Coalition were both sponsors of California S.B. 261, which passed the Assembly Floor Session on September 1, 2015, and now awaits approval from the Governor. S.B. 261 would extend the eligibility for a youth offender parole hearing to certain inmates who were under the age of 23 when they committed a crime for which they received a lengthy or life sentence. Learn more about S.B. 261.
- "Op-Ed: Institutionalizing Youth is Not the Answer," Jennifer Meinig, Charleston Gazette-Mail, September 8, 2015. Jennifer Meinig, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia (an NJJN member) penned this op-ed encouraging the deinstitutionalization of West Virginia's youth.
Other News and Opinions:
- "Black Men Who are Crime Victims have Few Places to Turn," NPR.org, August 17, 2015: NPR’s Morning Edition did a great piece on young men of color who are victims of crime, highlighting the work of Common Justice and the Californians for Safety and Justice to close the gap in services for these young men. Listen to the powerful piece or read the transcript here.
- "Shackling Juveniles in Transportation: Hobbling Fairness," The Huffington Post, August 25, 2015.
- "End Prolonged Solitary Confinement for California's Youth," The Sacramento Bee, August 29, 2015.
- "New State Law Increases Protections for Undocumented Youth," Voice of OC, September 9, 2015.
Resources and Opportunities:
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Interfaith Prayer Service for Youth Sentenced to Life Without the Possibility of Parole - September 20, 2PM Philadelphia. In advance of Pope Francis' visit to a Philadelphia correctional facility, an interfaith prayer service will be held to honor the lives and families of those young people whose lives are lost to life imprisonment. Pope Francis has previously spoken out against the sentencing of young people to life imprisonment.
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"Power in Partnerships: Building Connections at the Intersections of Racial Justice and LGBTQ Movements to End the School-to-Prison-Pipeline," Advancement Project, Equality Federation Institute, and GSA Network, September 2015.
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"Victims’ Voices for Reform: 4 Crime Victim Advocates Weigh in on Changes to State Sentencing Laws," Pew Charitable Trusts, August 25, 2015.
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Maltreatment of Youth in U.S. Juvenile Corrections Facilities: An Update, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, September 2015. A follow-up to No Place For Kids, this report introduces new evidence on the widespread maltreatment of youth in state-funded juvenile corrections facilities.
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The Juvenile Justice GPS (Geography, Policy, Practice & Statistics) site (JJGPS.org) now has 8 State Scan publications available to compile information and offer analysis on key juvenile justice issues and data available on the interactive website. Publication topics include:
- U.S. Age Boundaries of Delinquency
- Racial and Ethnic Fairness in Juvenile Justice: Availability of State Data
- Indefensible: The Lack of Juvenile Defense Data
- Measuring Subsequent Offending in Juvenile Probation
- Mental Health Screening in Juvenile Justice Services
- When Systems Collaborate: How Three Jurisdictions Improved their Handling of Dual-Status Cases
- Systems Integration-Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice
- Statewide Risk Assessment in Juvenile Probation