Hollywood Kids See Action with Cops
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The Hollywood PAL program, one of the largest Police Activities/Athletics League programs in the Los Angeles area, gives students a positive alternative to gangs and drugs.
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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OP-ED: To Reduce Youth Crime, Focus on Poverty
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The stampede to embrace premature, exaggerated “teenage brain” speculations downplay crucial environmental contexts.
ONA Announces Student Journalism Award
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News 21: Back Home, Carnegie-Knight News21, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University won a first prize from the Online News Association in the Student Group – Large category.
Week in Review: Amnesty Laws, Raising the Age and Violence
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This week in juvenile justice: protection for those who call 911 in case of an overdose. A look at New Orleans, America’s murder capital. A bill seeks to raise the age for misdemeanor offenses. Studies on solitary confinement show increased risk of recidivism. And: how systemic racism is part of our culture.
OP-ED: Eric Holder Was Bold Advocate for Change
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Eric Holder, the first African-American attorney general, resigned on Thursday, though he’ll remain at his post until his replacement is confirmed.
North Carolina Considering Raising Misdemeanor Age
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A senior prank water balloon fight in North Carolina got out of hand, leaving seven youths arrested that day and charged with disorderly conduct.
OP-ED: Federal Leadership Moving in Right Direction with New Grants
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The renewal of an important public-private collaboration between the Office of Justice Programs and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a major accomplishment for the juvenile justice field, which has long called for more federal leadership and resources for reforms.
Only 15 States Have Drug Amnesty Laws to Protect Overdosers, Friends
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Georgia is the 15th U.S. state to pass a law ensuring those who call 911 in case of an overdose will not face criminal charges. These so-called Good Sam laws, the first of which was passed in New Mexico in 2001, aim to save lives by getting medical help, not criminal charges, for someone who has overdosed. The laws also protect the friend who calls 911 and stays with the person.