OP-ED: Lock-Up Must Not Translate into a Death Sentence for Kids
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For youth in detention (including post detention) the rate of completed suicide is two to four times higher, surpassing the rate of adults most at risk in the general population.
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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Drug Program Aids Staten Island Prescription Drug Abusers
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John Scarabaggio’s near-death overdose is a story that’s heard far too often on Staten Island, where prescription drug abuse is rampant.
[Photos] Children’s Day of Peace
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Taylonn Murphy, Penny Wrencher, Shenee Johnson and Vernell Britt have all lost children to gun violence. Last Saturday, they came together at the "Children's Day of Peace" event at Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway. JJIE photographer Laura Bult documented the moving event.
A Celebration of Peace in a Community Touched By Gun Violence
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At a children’s summer party last Saturday afternoon at the Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway, Penny Wrencher made an introduction between two friends. “This is Nene,” Wrencher said to Taylonn Murphy, “She lost her daughter, too.”
Trains, Amputations and the Roots of Why Kids Are On the Run
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For years, researchers who study Central America have warned that organized crime was gaining strength.
Federal Complaint Challenges Texas Town’s New Ban on Housing any Border Kids
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Civil rights groups filed a federal complaint Tuesday challenging a Texas city’s ban on providing housing to “refugees” or foreigners such as the Central American children who’ve been turning themselves in at the border.
Music Program Helps Homeless, Runaway Youth Follow their Dreams
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Valley Youth House provides shelter for homeless kids in eastern Pennsylvania and has a crew of rotating artist's in residence:
Juvenile Justice Week in Review: Giving Teens a Shot at Redemption
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The week's top stories in juvenile justice news.