Is Bully Movie Being Bullied with “R” Rating?

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“Bully,” a documentary movie that follows five kids who are brutalized by classmates over the course of the year, is set to hit theatres by the end of the month, but not as many teens may be seeing the movie as the producers had hoped. When the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) stamped the movie with an “R” rating back in February, a number of people raised concerns that it may not reach many in the demographic the film aimed to impact -- those under 17 and still dealing with aspects of bullying in their daily lives. What do you think of when you hear about bullying? Hitting, slapping, harassment, name-calling and profanity are but a few of the adjectives that come to mind. All are present in the movie -- and why wouldn’t they be?

Phasing Out the Juvenile Justice System in California

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San Francisco's KQED public radio offers this piece about California Governor Jerry Brown's proposal to eliminate the state's juvenile justice system over the next three years, a move that could save the state more than $100 million.  

 

Los Angeles Moves Haltingly Toward Ending Truancy Fines

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This story was originally published by the Center for Public Integrity

 

Juvenile judge tries to alter failed policy with "rationality." LOS ANGELES — Fifteen-year-old Juan Carlos Amezcua was just five minutes late for school, and already at the corner by Theodore Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles when a police cruiser’s siren went off last Nov. 16. The consequences of what happened next — handcuffing, allegations of rough treatment and a $250 daytime curfew ticket — are still resonating here. In January, Amezcua and his cousin, who was also stopped by police en route to school, saw their tickets dismissed in juvenile court.

California May Ease Restrictions on Media Access to Prisoners

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The California State Assembly is considering a bill that would ease restrictions for members of the press to interview prisoners. The legislation, known as AB-1270, passed unanimously out of the Public Safety Committee Jan. 10 before being referred on to the Appropriations Committee. The bill, sponsored by Public Safety Committee Chair Tom Ammiano, requires the California Department of Corrections (CDCR) to permit reporters to interview inmates personally in California's prison unless the warden determines the interview poses an immediate threat to public safety or the security of the institution. Reporters must request the interview in advance.

California’s Governor Sends Wake-Up Call to the State’s Counties

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In his first move of 2012, California’s Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal for FY 2012-2013 appears to be part compromise, part wake-up call to the state’s counties, indicating he is serious about closing the state’s youth correctional system, the Division of Juvenile Facilities (DJF) once and for all. Ideally, this proposal should provide some relief for counties because now there is the opportunity for funding of local juvenile justice programs. The proposed budget will postpone the “budget triggers” and allocate an initial $10 million to counties to plan for juvenile justice realignment, followed by approximately $100 million each year. The catch? No new commitments will be made to DJF as of Jan. 1, 2013 and counties will have no choice but to handle their high- needs and high- risk population locally.

New Year, New Opportunities for Reform

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California’s budget crisis may sweep in the state’s most drastic juvenile justice reforms as early as January 2012. Gov. Jerry Brown’s latest budget measure involves implementation of “trigger cuts” on January 1st which will affect virtually every facet of social services in the state. For juvenile justice, this includes requiring counties to pay more of their tab for housing their most serious and violent offenders in the state’s Department of Juvenile Facilities (DJF). Currently it costs the state taxpayer approximately $200,000 per year to house a youth in the ineffective and irreparable state system, while counties have contributed only minimally to the cost.  Under the triggers, the counties will be responsible for $125,000 of this cost per youth, or they can recall their youths and serve them locally.

Wrong ideas: Curfews and Incarceration

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Children are the future of any society. They are the product of human connection and are a true reflection of society’s investment in itself. Why, then, are some states in America embracing juvenile incarceration and curfews over humane and effective alternatives? Is America afraid of its youth population? Nationwide, juvenile crime rates have been dropping.

California: Chafee Grant Offers Education Funding for Foster Youth

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The Chafee Grant, a mixture of state and federal funds, offers financial assistance to current or former foster youth in California interesting in pursuing technical training or college within the state. Applicants must be younger than 22, still in or formally in a foster care program in the state of California and complete three forms to determine eligibility: the Chafee Grant Application, the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA), and Chafee Need Analysis Report (NAR). Grants range from $5,000 to the full cost of tuiton, depending on the students financial need assessment. Money can be used for support services such as child care, rent and transportation, as well as general education fees such as books and tuition. There is no deadline for applications.

Selena Teji On the 58 Cooks in California’s Juvenile Justice Kitchen

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Recently, in a public hearing, a San Francisco District Attorney stated her commitment to “work[ing] closely with criminal justice partners to ensure effective sentencing without reliance on incarceration.” This is an unusual and bold sentiment from a prosecutor’s office. In San Francisco County, are the winds changing? In light of an enormous fiscal deficit and state-run youth prisons failing to provide even basic care to their wards, it is essential that California sheds its reliance on incarceration and get creative with community-based alternatives. By embracing this approach, San Francisco’s District Attorney’s Office is boldly stepping out of the institutional mold and breaking barriers to criminal justice reform. This is good news for the residents of San Francisco County, but what about the other 57 counties in this, the nation’s most populous state?

Selena Teji On California’s Broken Juvenile Detention System

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In 1858, the San Francisco Industrial School, California’s first large juvenile facility opened its doors and ushered in a new era of large dormitory-style institutions that would plague California to the present day.  Rife with scandal, abuse, violence and a significant deficit of programming, congregate care institutions have proven a failed model since the 19th century. While Missouri and Washington have abandoned this broken system and rebuilt their juvenile justice systems anew, focusing on smaller therapeutic regional facilities; California continues to fixate on an archaic system with large training schools that cannot be repaired. Currently, California operates a dual system of juvenile justice -- probation, group homes, ranches and camps are provided by its 58 counties, while the state provides youth prisons reserved for adolescents who have committed a serious or violent offense as defined in the state’s Welfare and Institutions Code. All parole and reentry services are provided by the counties.