Seven Teens Arrested in ‘Wolf Pack’ Bullying Case

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A disturbing and violent case of bullying has outraged the Philadelphia area.  The victim is a 13 year old boy who was attacked by seven classmates, ages 13 to 17, on the way home from school.  One of the alleged attackers recorded the incident on his cell phone on January 11, laughing through the incident that went on for half an hour, according to Philly.com. The video shows the boy screaming for help, as he is being dragged across the ground and jammed into a tree. He falls and tries to run away. Then his attackers chase him down and hang him by his coat from a 7-foot fence. Watch this account from CBS3 in Philadelphia:

Police in Upper Darby, Pa.

Cutting the Federal Budget Could have Broad Impact on Georgia Police and Sheriffs

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With Congress in deficit reduction mode, large crime fighting grants that Georgia depends on could be on the chopping block.  The National Criminal Justice Association is following the proposals, and one plan with dramatic implications comes from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C.  This prominent group recommends eliminating  “all Justice Department grants except those from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Institute of Justice, thereby empowering states to finance their own justice programs” for an annual savings of $7.3 billion.”

If the Bureau of Justice Assistance is eliminated, for example, Georgia could lose close to $14 million in federal grants annually, including $4.7 million that goes directly to police and sheriff departments across the state. And that's just one program in jeopardy

Here’s a list of some of the other nationside safety, youth development and education programs the Heritage Foundation wants to cut. The list and the language is from Heritage.org:

$298million  Eliminate state grants for Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities. $7.3 billion   Eliminate all Justice Department grants except those from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Institute of Justice, thereby empowering states to finance their own justice programs.
$30 million    Eliminate the duplicative Office of National Drug Control Policy. $26 million    Reduce funding for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division by 20 percent because of its policy against race-neutral enforcement of the law.

Correctional Officer Assaulted, Small Fires Set by Inmates at Eastman YDC

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Five law enforcement agencies rushed to the Eastman Youth Development Campus on Sunday night, after a call for help from the staff.  The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office says a correctional officer was attacked by several inmates who tried to beat him with a broomstick.  Inmates in one dorm set several small fires using bed linens and trash, and 60 others refused to return to their cells.  It took more than an hour to get control of what the Sheriff’s Office is calling a riot. Officers from Dodge County, Wilcox County, Abbeville Police, Eastman Police and Fire, and Middle Georgia College all helped YDC staff get the inmates back in their cells before leaving at 9pm. Eastman has the highest level of security for juvenile offenders in the state, with 330 beds for young men, 17 to 20 years old, who are committed for serious crimes.  Last May, a bigger uprising led to an escape at Eastman. The Department of Juvenile Justice released only this brief statement about Sunday’s incident and would not answer questions:
On Sunday, January 30, 2011, a disturbance took place at Eastman Youth Development Campus.  Initially some youth refused to comply with verbal commands given by juvenile correctional officers.  Subsequently, local law enforcement was called in to assist in returning the youth to their housing units. The situation was brought under control and no youth were injured.  One juvenile correctional officer received minor injuries during the incident, but did not require outside medical attention.

Juvenile Court Judges Blast “Beyond Scared Straight”

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The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges is calling on the A&E network to present the facts about the new show called “Beyond Scared Straight.”   The judges are joining a chorus of experts who warn that Scared Straight tactics do not work on at-risk kids, and may actually harm them. The  show debuted on the A&E cable network in January. It is the fourth incarnation of a theatrical film and television series that takes children inside adult prisons in an attempt to scare them away from a life of crime. JJIE.org has interviewed national experts and reviewed at least ten research studies that say Scared Straight programs are ineffective and a waste of money. Here’s the full statement from the National Council of Juvenile Court Judges:
The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges is concerned that the A&E program "Beyond Scared Straight" misrepresents the effectiveness of such interventions with youthful offenders.

Georgia Man Ordered to Pay Restitution to Child Pornography Victim

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Children featured in pornographic pictures are asking for financial restitution, and they’re getting it.  The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled Friday that a Georgia man caught with child pornography must pay a girl shown in an incest video, even though he did not shoot the pictures or attack the child. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports Ricky Lee McDaniel must pay $12,700 to the child who was 10 years old when her own father raped her and recorded the attack.  In a written statement the girl said that every day she knows “someone is watching the most terrifying moments of my life and taking grotesque pleasure in them”
U.S. Attorney Sally Yates calls McDaniel a “secondary abuser” who should help pay for the victim’s treatment and counseling, adding that children are re-victimized every time someone views their images. 
The New York Times profiles a similar case in Connecticut. A young woman who was molested by her uncle is asking for a total of $3.4 million in damages to be collected from everyone caught with an image of her. Her pictures have been circulating online for the last 10 years and turn up often in child porn cases.