Research makes case for electronic monitoring of felony offenders

By |

Electronic monitoring is being used for medium and high-risk felony offenders of all ages across the country.  According to a recent study from the Florida State University College of Criminology, electronic monitoring is effective for adults and juveniles, especially when used with GPS technology.  Researchers found 1 in 3 offenders placed under electronic monitoring would have gone to prison if the surveillance option had not been available to the courts.  They say it costs six times more to incarcerate an offender in state prison than to place them on electronic monitoring.  The research concludes that electronic surveillance is a cost effective tool, though not a perfect one.

Preventing Sex Abuse in Detention

By |

The Justice Department is proposing new standards for preventing and detecting sexual abuse in prisons and youth detention centers.   One proposal would require that medical staffers question children about abusive sexual behavior and consensual sex inside detention.  Advocacy groups, including Children’s Defense Fund and Equity Project are warning that doctors and nurses should not be forced to investigate or question children about sex offenses because it could interfere with doctor-patient relationships.   Youth Today reports on a letter from seven national advocacy groups to Attorney General Eric Holder.

New DJJ Chief Believes in Power of Law and Prayer

By |

Garland Hunt plans to rely on the Good Book as much as his law books for guidance in his goal of keeping thousands of juveniles who’ve run afoul of the law from graduating into Georgia’s criminal justice system for adults. Instead, Hunt, the new commissioner of theGeorgia Department of Juvenile Justice, is determined to see as many of them as possible graduate from the DJJ’s school system, with either high school diplomas or GED certificates.

Juvenile Drug Courts Training – Due June 15, 5pm Eastern

By |

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), is seeking applications for funding under its Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Juvenile Drug Courts Training and Technical Assistance Program. This program furthers DOJ’s mission by building the capacity of state and local jurisdictions to implement best practices for drug court programs.

Supreme Court bans life without parole

By |

The Supreme Court decision to ban life without parole for children in all cases except murder affects 37 states with laws on the books, including Georgia.  But it does not appear that any Georgia inmates are candidates for release at this time. The ruling reversed a life without parole sentence for  Terrance Graham, a Florida man who was 17 when he committed a home invasion robbery, just six months after another robbery. As the Miami Herald reports, the high court agreed he belongs in prison, but said, “it does not follow that he would be a risk to society for the rest of his life.''

An analysis in the Christian Science Monitor cites studies showing young people are less able to assess risk, control impulses, and process consequences.  Justice Kennedy wrote that they are also more capable of change.  Cutting off that possibility amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, violating the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment. Seven states already ban life without parole for juveniles.  Eleven more statesare considering similar laws.

Criminologist Warns Police to Prioritize Delinquents

By |

Police departments respond to juvenile delinquency in many different ways, but Criminologist James F. Hodgson says they are often reactive, and a low priority.  The Professor of Criminal Justice at Virginia State University warns the number of teenagers in the U.S. could jump by 21% in the next 30 years, and they will need more attention.  He assesses current juvenile policing policies across the country.  And he argues for more pro-active and re-active programs, urging police departments to prioritize innovative programs for children. Read more about his study here.

House Passes Time-Served Bill for Juvenile Offenders

By |

Children who are locked up in detention centers while waiting for court dates may get credit for time served under a bill that has passed in the Georgia House.  HB 1144 would require the state to treat juvenile offenders the same way it treats adults. Sponsors call it a "fairness issue as well as a budget issue".  If it passes in the Senate, the plan will free up beds in the juvenile justice system, and allow the state to cut some costs. AJC.com
Macon.com
HB1144

Courts Automation Commission gets Hard Look as State Hunts for Budget Cuts

By |

The Georgia Courts Automation Commission has spent $2.4 million in the last five years to study computers and technology that could unify software systems in courts across the state. That would make it easier to track cases, gather data and share information.  But the AJC reports the Commission has no real power and the majority of local courts are ignoring its recommendations. As lawmakers search for $1 billion in budget cuts, some are wondering if the Courts Automation Commission should be abolished.  Rep. Jill Chambers (R-Atlanta) says, “This commission is like a study committee gone mad.”

But many judges support the agency and its mission to improve technology. Douglas County Superior Court Judge David Emerson says the work is “desperately needed.”

Zero Tolerance Bill Sails through Senate

By |

Georgia's zero tolerance school policies are getting an overhaul.  SB299 would give school officials more discretion to handle discipline problems. The bill would stop the widespread use of rigid zero tolerance policies that currently mandate arrest and jail for children, and encourage principals to use common sense.  It passed the senate without opposition and now heads for the House. Sponsor Emanuel Jones ( D-Decatur) got involved when the son of a friend was kicked out of school after he accidentally brought a fishing knife to campus, then told school officials about his mistake. The boy landed in jail. Former School Resource Officer Jason Mitchell tells the AJC he has "grave concerns about public safety" if the bill becomes law.  He claims a child arrested for delinquent activity could not be held in detention without a court hearing first.  And since juvenile court judges are not available 24/7,  police might have to release some dangerous suspects.

Georgia Teens Argue for New Juvenile Code

By |

Atlanta's online teen news forum, Vox, has joined JustGeorgia in a campaign to change the state's juvenile laws.   Here's part of the latest Vox post from 19 year Giovan Bazan:

The lives of countless youth are dictated by a juvenile justice system that is flawed and a code that is severely outdated. Up until recently, teens have been idly watching as their lives change for the worse either because they didn’t know how to speak out and demand change or they were unable to. Currently, the Georgia General Assembly is convening at the State Capitol, revising the laws that affect all of us teens. The Georgia Code’s Juvenile Court Provision (Juvenile Code) is a series of laws that governs how our state responds to minors and their families in cases of abuse, neglect, violations of criminal law by children and other circumstances requiring court intervention. The laws were enacted in 1971, long before any of us teens were ever born.