Young Sex Offenders Can, Must Be Rehabilitated
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What will it take to lift this population of young people out of the “remnants of reform”?
An 11-year-old denied making a threat and was allowed to return to school. Tennessee police arrested him anyway.
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In late September, Torri was driving down the highway with her 11-year-old son Junior in the back seat when her phone started ringing.
It was the Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy who worked at Junior’s middle school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Deputy Arthur Richardson asked Torri where she was. She told him she was on the way to a family birthday dinner at LongHorn Steakhouse.
“He said, ‘Is Junior with you?’” Torri recalled.
Earlier that day, Junior had been accused by other students of making a threat against the school. When Torri had come to pick him up, she’d spoken with Richardson and with administrators, who’d told her he was allowed to return to class the next day. The principal had said she would carry out an investigation then. ProPublica and WPLN are using a nickname for Junior and not including Torri’s last name at the family’s request, to prevent him from being identifiable.
When Richardson called her in the car, Torri immediately felt uneasy. He didn’t say much before hanging up, and she thought about turning around to go home. But she kept driving. When they walked into the restaurant, Torri watched as Junior happily greeted his family.
Soon her phone rang again. It was the deputy. He said he was outside in the strip mall’s parking lot and needed to talk to Junior. Torri called Junior’s stepdad, Kevin Boyer, for extra support, putting him on speaker as she went outside to talk to Richardson. She left Junior with the family, wanting to protect her son for as long as she could ...
A campus shooting spurred her political awakening. Her whole family followed.
TUCSON, Arizona — Adriana Grijalva was getting ready to head to class at the University of Arizona in the fall of 2022 when she got a text message from her cousin telling her to stay put. The cousin, who works in maintenance at the university, had watched law enforcement descend on campus and reached out to make sure she was safe. A former student had just shot a professor 11 times, killing him.
Justice organization announces new youth restorative justice partners
Equal Justice USA (EJUSA) announced October 8 that it will partner with four new communities to build new restorative youth justice diversion programs. Restorative justice includes an accountability process that identifies root causes of youth criminal actions, while providing an opportunity for healing both for the person harmed and the person who has caused harm.
A Louisiana law meant to fight teen violence is sweeping 17-year-olds arrested for lesser crimes into adult court
Louisiana is the only state to pass and then reverse Raise the Age legislation. Louisiana’s criminal justice system now treats all 17-year-olds as adults. Is reversing Raise the Age making a difference in the number of violent crimes by 18-year-olds?
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The Recovery Diaries: Adam’s Story — Part One
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Meet Adam Abramowitz, a 27-year-old who lives near the edge of death.
From the Inside: Someone Always Will Have It Worse Than Me
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I quit feeling bad for myself once I started looking at life from somebody else's perspective.
New Jersey Laws Could Pave Way for More Reforms
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Which side of the Hudson River you’re on means a “huge difference” for juvenile justice.
Georgia Detention Center Where Teen Killed Himself Was Understaffed, Report Finds
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ATLANTA — Severe understaffing and failures in training and mental health procedures appeared to be factors in the Easter Sunday suicide of a 14-year-old at an Atlanta area youth detention center.
Federal Juvenile Justice Committee Advises More Funding for States
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The Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice on Monday voted 8-2 for a slate of recommendations related to the reauthorization of the JJDPA, the law that sets standards for juvenile justice programs.
21 Years Later, Father Still Grieves Son’s Shooting by NY Police
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NEW YORK — It was supposed to be just fun and games on that dreary, rainy September day 21 years ago. But child’s play in that stairwell quickly turned deadly when a shot was fired, with 13-year-old Nicholas Naquan Heyward Jr. the bullet’s target.
Once-Incarcerated Youth Are Now Faces of Freedom
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When I was on the inside, I felt as if the courts saw me only as a number instead of by my name and face. I felt as if I had no voice.