DJJ Escapes Draconian Budget Cuts, But Still Faces New Belt Tightening

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Governor Nathan Deal’s first State of the State address is making headlines for his promise to end teacher furloughs, prioritize K-12 education, and rescue HOPE scholarships.  A close reading of his new budget plans should also give the 4,200 employees of the Department of Juvenile Justice a little breathing room, but not much. As we reported last week, the agency has already lost more than 20% of its funding in the last 3 years, and doing more with less.  While the cutting continues, it won’t be as severe as it might have been.  Here are the numbers for both the amended 2011 budget and the 2012 budget:

The amended FY2011 budget calls for 4% in reductions, totaling $10.5 Million. Eleven full time positions will be sliced agency wide, but nine of those are currently vacant. Youth Detention Centers face about $3.3Million in cuts, including:

Hiring freeze to save $1.25 Million.

Blueprint for Turning Schools Around Fast

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Dramatic and comprehensive change is the key to improving school performance, according to a new research paper. The School Turnaround Group at Mass Insight Education says bold strategies are the only way to narrow the achievement gap for low-income and minority students. This advice comes as school systems across the country are applying for the next round of Title 1 School Improvement Grants this year.  Researchers recommend that money should only fund bold and truly different programs. They discourage funding for schools that are using the same old strategies that contributed to their decline in the first place.  Some other recommendations:

Think Big
Relentlessly enforce accountability for student achievement
Encourage school districts to use partners in bold and innovative ways
Create district level strategies
Communicate with families

Teen Sex and Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Truth or Consequences

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What teens say about their sex lives may not always be true and could jeopardize their health. Researchers have found inconsistencies between self-reported behaviors and laboratory-confirmed STD results. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health surveyed more than 14,000 young people about their sexual activity. After completing the survey, they all submitted a urine sample to researchers. The results are astounding.

Need Help Getting Your Message Out to Kids? Enter This Contest

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Child advocacy groups are always looking for new ways to make it clear to kids how laws and public policies affect them. A unique effort debuted last fall called I Got Arrested, Now What?, which explains the workings of the juvenile justice system by following a fictional teen through his experience. It’s in comic book form and unfolds like a poster. The Center for Urban Pedagogy is ready to help other organizations that work with kids to create and produce their own messages. The Center’s Making Policy Public project wants to match advocates with graphic designers who will help them create illustrative posters to simplify complicated policies for kids.

Red Flags Point to Heaping Trouble for Teen School Shooter

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New details are coming out about the 17-year-old high school senior who shot his principal and vice-principal yesterday in Omaha. A number of red flags apparently point to trouble brewing in Robert Butler, Jr.'s life, beginning with his transfer to a large city high school.  He had recently moved in with his father, an Omaha police officer, after living for years with his mother, according to the Omaha World-Herald.  Butler was unhappy with the move and struggled to find a place in his new school. A sequence of events yesterday morning led to the shooting.

HR 9: Murders Motivate New State-wide Plan to Study Teen Violence

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The unprovoked murder of two teenagers at house parties in the Atlanta-area, is fueling a plan to study the causes of teen violence.  Georgia State Representative Roger Bruce has pre-filed a resolution at the Capitol calling for a Joint Teen Violence Study Commission.  The six-member commission will study teen violence and make recommendations to the legislature. Resolution HR9, calls for the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate, and the Governor to each choose two members for the Commission, with a chair appointed by the Governor. Their mission will be to gather insight from experts in juvenile justice and child welfare as well as crime victims and teen perpetrators.

If You’re A Social Justice Change-Maker Check Out This Grant

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If you’re a change-maker in your community and under 40 years old, there’s a $100,000 prize that may have your name on it. Grinnell College, a private liberal arts school in Iowa (yes, Iowa…keep reading), is offering $100,000 to people who’ve shown “creativity, commitment and extraordinary accomplishment in effecting positive social change.”

What’s the prize? You could win $50,000 and another $50,000 for the organization of your choice. As many as three people a year can win the Grinnell College Young Innovator for Social Justice Prize. As long as you were under 40 on January 1, you can apply.

Federal Funds Available to Help Foster Kids

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The federal government is now pushing states to take part in two foster care programs that support guardianship placements and the extension of foster care up to age 21. The two programs are part of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, which was passed in 2009 and allows for federal IV-E funds to be more freely used, according to Youth Today. According to the Act, teens will be eligible for these funds if they continue their education or get a job among other things. As JJIE.org reported last month, more than 700 fostered teens in Georgia turn 18 this year and face an uncertain future, and a quarter of young people who age out become homeless within two years. But Georgia has apparently not applied for the money that might help them.

Doing More with Less: What DJJ Budget Cuts Really Mean for Children

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As Georgia faces its greatest budget crisis since the Great Depression, the state Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) has been forced to make drastic budget cuts.  The last three years have seen a reduction of more than 20% in state funding.  And future cuts of up to 10% for FY 2012 are possible. Jeff Minor, long time DJJ Chief Financial Officer, explains these losses in stark terms:

In FY 2009, DJJ’s base budget totaled nearly $343 million.  By 2011, the budget was down to $266 million. The FY 2012 budget faces further cuts, from $15.4 million in a best case scenario to $25.7 million in a worst case scenario. Over a three year period, the cuts could total nearly 30%. In addition, says Minor, the agency lost more than $80 million in one-time budget cuts, largely absorbed through staff furloughs and hiring freezes.

New Suicide Prevention Task Force Targets LGBT Kids

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Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people are up to seven times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers and transgender kids also have higher rates of suicidal behavior. This information comes from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center and spurred the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (NSSP) to launch a new task force that targets LGBT young people. The Alliance was created last September as a partnership with Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Department of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. Several suicides involving LGBT teens made headlines last year. The most notable may be the Rutgers University freshman who jumped to his death from a bridge after his private encounter with another boy was posted on the Internet.