Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative in the News
These recent news articles highlight Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) practices, policies and programs. The links will open a new window and take you directly to the media outlets' web sites. Registration may be required.
For an updated list of ational and local news articles and media reports on JDAI activities across the country, visit the JDAI Helpdesk.
Lock Up Teen Criminals? (Commentary)
From CNN.com on May 4, 2009
Ten years ago, teen Daniel Giddings shot a man during an attempted robbery and was sentenced to six to 12 years in prison.... After serving 10 years, Giddings was released last August. According to CNN affiliate WPVI, he allegedly assaulted several police officers days later. Then, in September, he allegedly killed a Philadelphia police officer before being fatally shot by another officer.
Fixing North Carolina's juvenile justice mistake (Op-Ed By Bart Lubow)
From News and Observer on April 23, 2009
I recently participated in community forums in Raleigh and Winston-Salem regarding North Carolina's policy of prosecuting and incarcerating 16- and 17-year-olds as adults. Given the charged debate about changing this law, the public deserves to know what protects public safety, treats youth fairly and appropriately and makes best use of scarce public resources. Treating all 16- and 17-year-olds like adults does not work. North Carolina is one of only three states that exclude 16- and 17-year-olds from juvenile jurisdiction. In contrast, 75 percent of state juvenile justice systems handle youths up to age 18. Why has virtually every other state pursued a different course?
Report proposes N.J. spend juvenile detention center money on crime prevention
From The Star-Ledger on March 18, 2009
With the number of N.J. juveniles held in detention centers significantly reduced, counties should reinvest detention center funds in prevention and treatment efforts, the state's child advocate said in a report released today. Five years after New Jersey began participating in a national Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative, or JDAI, project, five counties have posted a 44.3 percent drop in the number of youth in detention on any given day, the child advocate reported in an analysis of data provided by the Juvenile Justice Commission.
Norfolk meeting explores racial gap in juvenile justice
From The Virginian-Pilot on January 25, 2009
Sometimes it's the little things that can contribute to a disproportionately higher number of black children in the juvenile justice system, experts told some 300 people attending a town hall meeting Saturday. Bias may be unintentional. Small changes can make a difference. By asking more questions, maybe a grandparent or aunt can be found to supervise a child, when detention would be required otherwise because the single parent must work. And by probing deeper, authorities can see what kinds of crimes are snaring children - is it murder? contempt of court? - and perhaps do something about it.
Interview with national juvenile justice expert Bart Lubow (audio)
From Juvenile Justice Matters on March 5, 2009
A criminal disparity between black and white youth
From The Virginian Pilot on January 24, 2009
Lots of black and brown teenagers in Norfolk — and throughout the nation — have contact with the juvenile justice system in numbers disproportionately higher than that for whites. Is that a sign of racial bias? Or are African-American and Hispanic teens simply more violent? Those provocative questions are at the heart of a town hall meeting at 9:30 a.m. today at Old Dominion University, featuring experts from around the country and officials here in Virginia.
Superintendent with experience will oversee young offenders
From Indianapolis Star on January 6, 2009
DeShane Reed faced a judge after arrests for stealing shoes and having marijuana in a dorm room derailed his football scholarship at a Missouri university. More than a decade later, Reed cites that criminal record as a turning point that shook him. In response, he started working with troubled youth, a path that led to the announcement Monday of his appointment as the superintendent of the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center.
County Changes Policy Of Sending Juveniles To Adult Jails (Audio)
From OPB News on December 18, 2008
Multnomah County Commissioners voted Thursday to stop sending juveniles to adult jails. As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, instances of suicide and sexual abuse around the nation are prompting many jurisdictions to make similar changes…
Lawmakers, judge making strides in juvenile justice
From Mobile Press-Register on December 14, 2008
When it comes to overall child welfare, Alabama historically has ranked at or near the bottom of nationwide studies, because in no small part of the state's high juvenile incarceration rate. But with new strategies being put in place in Mobile County and other metropolitan areas of the state, Alabama appears to be turning that around, according to one juvenile justice expert.
County recognized for juvenile justice efforts (Audio)
From OPB News on November 18, 2008
Multnomah County was recognized Tuesday, for its efforts to reduce racial disparities within the juvenile justice system. …Jason Zeidenberg of Multnomah County says by hiring a more diverse staff and working not to make decisions based on stereotypes, the county has been able to reduce both racial disparities and crime
The mighty Missouri model honored by Harvard and the Annie E. Casey Foundation
From Youth Today on October 1, 2008
The Missouri Division of Youth Services was one of six Innovations in American Government award winners, an honor that comes with $100,000 from the award's sponsor, the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation...
Ariz. courts trying alternative juvenile justice
From The Arizona Republic on June 30, 2008
If you had visited the juvenile lockup in Pima County a decade ago - at the height of the adult-time-for-adult-crime campaign - you'd have seen young people sleeping in the cafeteria because of crowding. There were almost 3,500 youths detained in Pima County in 2003, a number that plummeted to 2,583 last year and is still dropping. In year four of a wide-scale transformation of Pima County's juvenile-justice system, troubled kids are being diverted into other alternatives...
When 'off the streets' isn't good enough
From the Star Tribune on June 17, 2008
Last month, Dakota County launched an initiative to ensure the right kids are detained for the right reasons, with similar reforms to follow in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Minnesota's primary motivation to support reform stems from concerns about the racial disparities evident in juvenile detention centers, especially involving black youth. The county's juvenile detention reforms have made available alternatives to detention, such as foster care or electronic home monitoring, and have produced a new screening tool to place juveniles appropriately...
Things looking up for Alabama children
From the Birmingham News on June 13, 2008
Jefferson County is one of four pilot sites for Casey's Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative. With the full endorsement and support of presiding Judge Brian Huff at the Jefferson County Family Court, the initiative has drastically reduced the average daily population of youths in detention from 110 per day to 40. Casey's involvement also has led to an all-encompassing juvenile justice reform project in Jefferson County called Reclaiming Our Youth. Through these reforms, the county has cut by nearly half the number of kids sent to the Department of Youth Services from 48 per month in 2006 to 25 in 2008.
Youth lockup options sought at state forum
From the Worcester Telegram & Gazette on June 7, 2008
No one wants to lock up children unnecessarily, but alternatives are scarce in Massachusetts for children who are arrested for or convicted of crimes, according to state officials. Officials began trying to change that more than a year ago, targeting Worcester and Suffolk counties as part of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, and they're starting to see some results. Detentions of juveniles are down 10 percent statewide in the past year, due mainly to awareness of the issue, said Department of Youth Services Commissioner Jane E. Tewksbury. The next steps will be to finish a related study and reach out to additional layers of collaboration, including schools, she said......
Childish behavior; criminal behavior
From the Huntsville Times on June 1, 2008
In 2003, community leaders in Clayton County, Ga., voiced concerns about the numbers of children being sent to juvenile court by schools. After several months of study and negotiation, the group emerged with a unique collaborative agreement now referred to as the School Offense Protocol.This protocol zeroes in on low-level misdemeanor offenses like disorderly conduct and affray, which had accounted for a majority of school referrals in Clayton County. For those offenses, the protocol establishes a system of graduated sanctions to standardize consequences for youth...
Progress in juvenile justice helps kids and community Editorial
From the Indianapolis Star on May 28, 2008
Two years ago, Marion County's Juvenile Detention Center wasn't safe for the children and teens incarcerated there, or for the staff responsible for their oversight. Thankfully, much has changed at the detention center since then, including a sharp drop in the number of juveniles locked up there...
Transforming juvenile justice
From the Indianapolis Star on May 27, 2008
Far fewer youths file into Marion County's juvenile lockup each day, a key result of a reform effort that has reduced crowding and diverted thousands of children into programs outside the center's walls...
Governor signs Juvenile Justice Act pushed by Chief Justice Cobb
From The Montgomery Independent on May 12, 2008
Legislation designed to reform Alabama's juvenile justice system was signed into law by Governor Bob Riley Monday. The new law is designed to reduce the number of children in state custody and redirect them toward community-based programs.....
Children go to jail, for lack of options
From the Boston Globe on May 12, 2008
Massachusetts has already taken some important steps to limit the use of pre-trial juvenile lock-ups. The Commonwealth's Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee has publicly announced that one of its priorities reducing the number of youth of color in detention facilities. The Department of Youth Services is spearheading an effort supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to develop alternatives to detention. But we must do much more...
For an updated list of ational and local news articles and media reports on JDAI activities across the country, visit the JDAI Helpdesk.