Eric Holder on Juvenile Justice

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U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said this week the Department of Justice would put a priority on improving the nation’s juvenile justice system. In a speech to the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference, Holder said the Department would place an emphasis on forming community partnerships and using evidence-based research in dealing with the issue. The attorney general also told the conference that it was time to answer some difficult questions concerning crime and race and the treatment of children. “Why,” Holder asked, “is it that, although African-American youth make up 16 percent of the overall youth population, they make up more than half of the juvenile population arrested for committing a violent crime? Why is it that abused and neglected children are 11 times more likely than their non-abused and non-neglected peers to be arrested for criminal behavior?

Got A (Unused) Ticket to The Yelawolf Concert?

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JJIE.org has been told that all did not go well at the Yelawolf concert at the Freight Depot, a music venue, near Underground Atlanta over the weekend. Loads of people who bought tickets (for about $15 a piece) could not get into the concert venue because security closed the doors before reaching capacity. Promoter D.J. Adam Golden, an up and coming Atlanta-based music promoter, takes full responsibility and is asking ticket holders to get in touch with him on Twitter or Facebook to get their money back before the end of today, Tuesday March 8. “The cops had to shut it down because of a lack of security and that was my fault,” said Golden. “I was in charge of staffing and everything else.

Georgia RYDC map

[MAP] Georgia RYDC Locations

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Budget troubles are beginning to cause problems for the juvenile justice system in Georgia. In an attempt to close a more than $5 million shortfall, Department of Juvenile Justice officials in the state recently announced the closing of two youth detention centers. Below is a map of all Regional Youth Detention Centers in Georgia, including the recently closed ones in Blakely and Griffin. For more information including addresses and telephone numbers, visit the DJJ page.

Sen. Jack Hill: ‘I’d like to see RYDCs operate more efficiently’

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We’re asking lawmakers to weigh in on issues affecting children and the juvenile justice system in Georgia. In this installment of the JJIE.org interview series, State Senator Jack Hill (R-Reidsville) weighs in on the new Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) commissioner and how the cash-strapped agency may effectively cut costs. Senator Jack Hill

Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee
Former Chairman of K-12 Education, Ethics and Higher Education Committees. JJIE: What do you consider to be some of the main pressing issues facing juvenile justice in Georgia? J.H.: I know that the budget cutbacks are a setback, but I’ve been impressed with [DJJ’s] plans for efficient delivery of services.  I’ve been especially impressed with Commissioner Amy Howell’s work.

Juvenile Parole Board Legislation Sponsor: ‘My Bill Will Be Heard On The Floor Of The Senate’

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It seems that even the Georgia Legislature can have an off schedule week. First the House Children & Youth Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the State Capitol got canceled at the last minute. According to the agenda, the topic was supposed to be a discussion about “a system-wide approach” to “children and youth with special needs.”

Then JJIE.org got tipped off that the Senate Judiciary Committee had scheduled a hearing Thursday on Senate Bill 105, which proposes to establish a three-person juvenile parole panel within the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). An hour-and-a-half into the committee’s meeting (following a lively discussion about the controversial immigration-focused Senate Bill 40) we learned that the parole board bill would not be heard that day. “The committee chairman has the authority to add or delete anything from the agenda,” explained SB 105 sponsor Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur).

Bill Targeting Human Trafficking Passes Georgia House: Moves to Senate

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A bill cracking down on human trafficking has passed the Georgia House of Representatives and will now move to the Senate for approval.  The legislation, HB 200,  increases penalties for those guilty of human trafficking, especially if the victims are less than 16 years old.  Further provisions are made for victims who have suffered as a result of forced prostitution.

DJJ Announces Second Youth Detention Center Closing

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The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) announced the closing of the second regional youth detention center (RYDC) in as many days.  The 30-bed Blakely RYDC in Early County will close effective April 1.  The decision to close the facilities came after the DJJ budget was cut by $5.4 million. DJJ Commissioner Amy Howell said the Griffin and Blakely RYDCs were chosen because of their proximity to other facilities and not performance. “The decision was more based on data and not operations,” said Howell.  “The work at both of these facilities was outstanding.”

Last year, the DJJ said up to four facilities, Griffin, Blakely, Claxton and Gwinnett, could be closed. "I'm am totally flabbergasted by this news," said Captain Phillip Law of the Early County Sheriff's Department when reached at his office in Blakely. "We thought we had enough political pull to keep it open, but I guess we were wrong."

DJJ Closes Griffin facility

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Georgia’s budget troubles surfaced today when the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) announced the closing of one of its youth detention centers, while its top official acknowledge that another shuttering would be announced in the coming days. The DJJ said the Griffin Regional Youth Detention Center (RYDC), a 30-bed facility south west of Atlanta, would be closed due to the department’s budget shortfall of $5.4 million. DJJ Commissioner Amy Howell later told the JJIE another facility would also be closed, but declined to say which one. "We will be announcing the closure of another facility in the coming days," said Howell. The DJJ runs 22 RYDC’s in the state, including the one in Griffin.  Last year, the DJJ said up to four facilities, Griffin, Blakely, Claxton and Gwinnett, could be closed.

Georgia Bill Aims to protect Kids online

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Georgia students may want to think twice about bullying someone online, especially if HB 310 passes. HB 310, better known as “The End to Cyberbullying Act,” will take the current law and expand it to include any form of cyber communication that would be considered bullying. Currently, the law in Georgia prohibits any form of bullying of another student only on school property, busses, bus stops and at school events. If the new provision were to become law, school officials could act even if the cyberbullying didn’t occur on school property. For example, if a student decides to send a threatening message through Facebook while at home to another student, the student who sent the harassing message can still be disciplined by school officials.