Powerful Tool Shines Light on Secrecy in Juvenile System

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Traditionally, juvenile courts have protected children from lasting stigma and emotional trauma through aggressive secrecy, in contrast to their adult counterparts. But the anonymity provided by the juvenile system is a direct impediment to journalists and others charged with delivering information to the public. But a powerful new tool, published this month by the Reporters’ Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP), provides a state-by-state breakdown of access to juvenile courts. The report, funded by a grant from the McCormick Foundation, appears in the Spring 2012 issue of RCFP’s quarterly publication, The News Media & The Law. Each state is profiled in detail, describing which juvenile proceedings and records are available to the public and which require special permission.

The Truth About Bullying

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I’ve been a journalist a lot longer than I’d care to admit (a lot of people mistake me for younger), so admittedly after a while the articles I write sometimes begin to blur together. However, one thing’s for sure: the name Jaheem Herrera will forever remain etched in my mind. I remember clearly the first news reports of this metro Atlanta boy’s suicide in 2009. The images of his mother, heartbroken and sobbing splashed across my television screen aren’t easy to erase. I was honored to be among the first people Masika Bermudez agreed to speak to after her son’s untimely death.

Leonard Witt

Help Save Children’s Lives, Join Our Community

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The Juvenile Justice Information Exchange is made up of people like you who are interested in doing what is best for at-risk children, including the people who work with children. We believe doing what’s best means staying well-informed about what’s going on in government, courts, schools, nonprofit treatment and prevention programs, and following new research and initiatives that could benefit children and families. We called the JJIE.org, the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange because we believe our audience collectively knows more about juvenile justice and child welfare issues than we do. Plus we want to provide a place for everyone to share their ideas, research, expertise and experiences with our 17,000 unique monthly visitors. Many of you have written comments, which bring new and unique perspectives to the solid journalism we do each day.

LGBT stock photo - Clay Duda, JJIE.org

Double Jeopardy: Lesbian Activist Says Fear of Parents’ Homophobia Inspires Secret Life

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["Double Jeopardy: Lesbian Activist Says Fear of Parents’ Homophobia Inspires Secret Life" is part 2 of a 3 part series on LGBT issues. Bookmark this page for updates.]

Second Life is a virtual reality game wherein members create a customized “avatar” that serves as a digital representation of themselves. In this three-dimensional virtual community, the avatar assumes an identity, takes up residence and moves about in a world completely created by them, for them. Second Lifers buy property, start businesses, make friends, join clubs, attend classes or sometimes just hang out. Amber Holt* has never played this game, but in many respects, she feels like she lives it every day.

A Few Days in the Yard

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To me this is what field reporting is all about. We had a concept and a vague idea of how to make it happen. One reporter and a camera, not much else. Looking back one of the biggest mistakes we made was setting out too early. At 10am I was already thinking about lunch and a third cup of coffee, but the kids we were looking for were still snoozing in their sleeping bags – and would be for another two hours.

Leonard Witt

A Good Day for Ryan Schill and Kennesaw State University

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Wednesday, May 11, 2011 was a good day for our reporter Ryan Schill, for Kennesaw State University and for me. Wednesday, Schill became a graduate of Kennesaw State and editor John Fleming published Schill's story the Straight Dope on Fake Dope. It's a well written and researched story, and right after we posted it, Youth Today a national newspaper asked to reprint it. Of course, we said yes. For me it was a special day because last semester Schill was in my Advance Media Writing class.