After a Lull in Protesting, Oaklanders Take to the Streets, Ready for Change
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After a lull nationally in the protests erupting in the aftermath of the George Zimmerman verdict, things seem only to be heating up in Oakland.
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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Texas prisons and jails are recruiting more teenagers to shore up guard shortage
5 things to know about how the Parkland shooter’s life was spared
School violence: Mapping incidents in Georgia
A Day at the Beach Through an Autistic, Artistic Lens
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Across the country, youth photo programs have put cameras in the hands of young people to help them find their voice while capturing and engaging with the communities they live in. Akeem Bonaparte, a 21-year-old photographer with autism and a penchant for documenting his city, can testify to this.
Vera Institute of Justice: Community Corrections Can Answer Mass Incarceration Problems
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Community supervision aimed at high-risk offenders, as well as mandatory evidence-based programs, have the potential to curtail the U.S. correctional system.
OP-ED: The Transformative Power of Nonviolence
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I used to think that violence could solve almost any problem. That kind of thinking lead me down a very dark path, one that dumped me in prison at age 18.
Perps or Pupils? Safety Policy Creates Prison-Like New York City Schools
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[Photo Story] When Minerva Dickson first saw her high school she thought it looked like a prison. After her first week she realized how right her initial impressions were. "It made me hate school. When you cage up students like that it doesn’t make us safe, it makes things worse."
Seven Officers at Georgia RYDC Removed after “Egregious Policy Violations”
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Seven employees at the DeKalb County Regional Youth Detention Center have been removed, following findings from a three-week investigation.
OP-ED: Breaking the Cycle of Hyper-Recidivism
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Is reform a means to cut the budget or is cutting the budget a means to reform? It's like which came first--the chicken or the egg? For Georgia, I think money is part of the equation, and ultimately becomes part of the outcome, but it's definitely not the primary objective despite it's appearance. In times of economic woe, one does not increase those woes with added fiscal burdens. A financial crisis is an easy out for any governor or lawmaker to avoid unwanted legislation.
In Georgia, Sex Abuse Allegations Cloud Progress of Juvenile Justice Reform
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A federal study ranked Paulding RYDC second in the nation for youth reports of sexual victimization while incarcerated.