Teen bleach attack: prank or crime?

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Four teenage boys are now in custody for throwing a balloon filled with bleach at a 14 year old boy.  Miguel Mesa, who just finished 7th grade in Lilburn, was walking home from school when the bleach hit him in the face, nearly blinding him.  He may have permanent eye damage.  The four suspects are all Meadowcreek High School students in Gwinnett County.  Police say one of them used a Super Soaker water gun to spray even more bleach on the victim.  As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, the teens told investigators they were only trying to ruin the boy’s clothes. The case is generating strong debate.  Was it an end of year prank carried out by boys who didn’t know the dangers of bleach?  Or was it a heinous crime?  Columnist Maureen Downey calls it a senseless act that deserves punishment, and about 50 of her readers agree.

NY to fix scandal-ridden juvenile prisons

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The Department of Justice is threatening a federal takeover of New York state’s juvenile detention centers after a scathing investigation found children got little schooling, some had broken bones from  routine beatings, and young people with mental illness or drug addiction were held with violent offenders. To avert a takeover, Governor David Paterson has introduced legislation to fix the problems.  As the New York Times reports, the plan would stop judges from sending children to state juvenile prisons unless they are guilty of a violent crime or sex crime, or they are a serious threat to the community.   The bill would also create an independent office to monitor and investigate problems.  The GovMonitor reports the independent investigators would report directly to the Governor and the Legislature. The New York juvenile prison system currently houses 700 young people in 26 facilities.

Sentenced to Shakespeare

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Children who land in juvenile court in Berkshire County, Massachusetts may end up on stage, reciting Shakespeare.   Retired Judge Paul Perachi  worked with a theater company  to develop the program for teens convicted of violent crimes.  He thought working with theater professionals would help them develop self esteem, communication skills, and manager their anger better.  In the last 10 years, the program has graduated 200 kids with some success.   For some kids, it’s the first time they’ve been praised. 15 year old Tim, convicted of assault and battery, thought he’d be locked up.  “Assault and battery and you hand me a sword in Shakespeare? No, I didn't think that was going to happen at all”

Voice of America profiles the program, which won an award from the White House.

Youth Promise Act draws star power

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A campaign to get federal funding for youth violence prevention programs in urban centers is gathering steam in the entertainment industry.  Media mogul Russell Simmons has joined the movement to support the Youth Promise Act, H.R. 1064, pending in Congress. Simmons writes about it in his blog for the Huffington Post:

“Every year in America, 600,000 youth are confined in a jail or prison... With the White House ready to address this growing issue, we need a proven cost-effective way of reducing youth violence.”

The Youth Promise Act would amend the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.  Some provisions include:

Local oversight and control of funds. Custom tailored plans created for each community. Creation of a National Research Center for Proven Juvenile Justice Practices

Celebrities, sports figures, gang experts and politicians are joining the cause on Facebook,  Twitter, and YouTube.  They released a video last week.  Supporters include NFL star and civil rights activist Jim Brown, actress Robin Wright, Baron Davis of the NBA, and Congressional sponsor Bobby Scott (D- Virginia).  On his website Scott says, "The Youth PROMISE Act represents a paradigm shift in the way we address juvenile crime policy in America.  Instead of doing what is politically expedient, we have the opportunity to both reduce crime and save money."

Teen rape case divides neighborhood

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The rape of an 8 year old girl and the arrest of a teenage neighbor are tearing apart a South Atlanta neighborhood.  Creative Loafing tells the story of Jason Pratt, who is set to go on trial at the end of June.  Pratt was 15 years old and babysitting for the little girl in 2007, when he was accused of raping her. Neighbors are horrified by the crime and want justice for the young rape victim, but they don’t believe Pratt did it.  28 of them have sent a letter of support to the court, where Jason Pratt will stand trial as an adult at the end of June. Complicating this case is the fact that a registered sex offender, who molested another child, was already living in the girl’s home.  Investigators say he’s not a suspect. Creative Loafing profiles this case, pokes holes in the police investigation, and raises questions about the Georgia sex offender law and how it gets enforced.

Zero tolerance meets common sense

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Georgia’s revised Zero Tolerance law gives local school systems and judges more discretion in dealing with children who bring a weapon to school but don’t intend to hurt anyone.  Senate Sponsor Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) introduced the law after hearing about a 14-year old Morgan County boy who was arrested after he voluntarily turned in a fishing knife to his principal last year. “Students have been expelled or sent to jail for bringing a key chain, nail clippers, and even a Cub Scout utensil to school,” said Jones. “This legislation brings common sense to the all or nothing approach that school officials use to discipline kids under zero tolerance policies.”

The law changes the juvenile code to make a first offense a delinquent act, rather than a designated felony.  SB299 won unanimous passage in the legislature. Governor Perdue signed the bill May 25. The action comes too late for 14 year old Eli Mohone, who was convicted of a felony for turning in his knife.  WSB radio reports he’s on probation for a year, but hopes to get his record expunged.

Helping teens with mental illness

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A growing number of states are looking for ways to assess and treat the mental health problems of children in the juvenile justice system.  The newest report comes from the Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice at the Berkeley School of Law in California.  An estimated 40 to 70 percent of teens in California’s juvenile justice system have mental health disorders and the numbers are rising.  Researchers recommend some practical strategies:

Better definitions of mental health problems linking diagnosis with treatment options across the system
Proven screening and assessment tools
Outcome-based treatment programs

State confirms sex assault at teen drug program, but does not blame operator

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Four teenage boys are charged with sexually assaulting another boy at the WestCare-Georgia Intensive Residential Treatment Program last January.  After a four-month investigation of the non-profit firm that operates the program, the State Department of Juvenile Justice found no negligence. As the August Chronicle reports, the DJJ will not impose sanctions.

Prison costs burden Georgia as other states test alternatives

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Georgia taxpayers spend $1 billion dollars a year locking up criminals in prison.  An eye-opening analysis by the Atlanta Journal Constitution shows one in 70 Georgians is behind bars and each offender costs $49 a day.  It is not because the state has more crime, but because sentencing laws are tougher here, keeping criminals behind bars longer.  In the first of a two-part series, the AJC raises questions about Georgia’s tough-on-crime stand, and whether it’s worth the cost at a time when the state is cutting teachers, transportation and critical programs.  Even some conservative policymakers like former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) are studying alternatives to prison.  In a surprising interview, Gingrich argues treatment programs for non-violent offenders work, and can be safer and less expensive. In part two, the AJC reports about 2-thirds of inmates locked up are non-violent. For them, alternatives such as drug courts and work-release might work and save money.  Other states across the south, such as Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas are working on research-based alternatives.

Screening Teens in Custody for Mental Illness May Improve Outcomes

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A four-year study of the juvenile justice system in California unveils alarming mental health problems:

An estimated 50% of teens arrested in California have a suspected mental illness. 75% have a substance abuse problem

The Healthy Returns Initiative is searching for ways to improve treatment options and outcomes for young offenders.  The study reports on conditions in California’s Juvenile Justice System which sound a lot like conditions in Georgia:  State and local budget cuts, insufficient staff to handle kids with mental health problems, shortage of placement options for children with severe mental illness and substance abuse. The Initiative worked with 5 counties, both urban and rural, to identify teens with problems. They found the key is routine, standardized mental health screening at the earliest point of contact with the system.  They conclude ignoring mental health issues leads to longer and more costly stays in detention. Read more in the Sacramento Bee