Michelle Barclay: Cold Case Teen Finds Forever Family Just in Time for Christmas

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As I drove up to Goshen Valley Boy’s Ranch in the pouring rain with Sue Badeau from Casey Family Programs in the seat beside me at 8pm, I had moments of doubt. I asked James’ case manager earlier in the day, “Is James OK with seeing us tonight?”

“About as excited as a 15 year old boy can be,” she answered, which did not comfort me. When we arrived at the lovely but lonely set of houses set in a wide expanse of woods and views, we were informed that James* had gone to bed, disappointed that we had failed to show way past the agreed upon hour.   But he did come out and joined us for a two-hour conversation about his permanency goals. We had gotten permission for Sue to do permanency counseling with James.

Fathers’ Rights Attorney to Head Office of the Child Advocate

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A Cobb County lawyer who represents fathers in divorce and custody cases will be the next Director of Georgia’s Office of the Child Advocate. Governor-elect Nathan Deal has named Tonya Boga as the state’s child welfare watchdog. Boga lives in Marietta and is a partner in the Boga & Edwards Law Group.  Her law practice promises “Advocacy for Fathers who want to maintain a strong healthy relationship with their children.”

According to Boga’s profile, she’s a Juvenile Court Mediator, Guardian Ad Litem, and a member of the National Association of Counsel for Children.  She is past president of the Cobb County Bar Association Family Law Section.  She has two law degrees, including a Master of Laws from Loyola University in Chicago, and the University of Tennessee. Boga is also active in Republican politics.

Letter from Juvenile Justice Commissioner Garland Hunt

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Commissioner Garland Hunt sent a heartfelt letter to his DJJ staff on Thursday.  The letter comes in the wake of news that he will not be reappointed to the post.  Governor-elect Nathan Deal has nominated Deputy Commissioner Amy Howell, who will be the first woman ever to run the Juvenile Justice agency. Hunt‘s letter, addressed to the “DJJ Family”, praises their work and resonates with sadness.  Here’s how it starts:
It is with much regret that I must inform you of the Deal Administration’s decision to not reappoint me as the Commissioner. In a very short time, I developed a sincere love for all of the young people that have been entrusted in DJJ’s care. I quickly realized that we must encourage and believe in them.  Our success as an agency is determined by their success in life. I would encourage you to always keep hope in your hearts for a change in their lives.

Deal Taps First Woman to Lead Ga. Juvenile Justice Agency: Amy Howell Named New DJJ Commissioner

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Governor-Elect Nathan Deal has nominated Amy Howell as the next Commissioner of Georgia’s Department of Juvenile Justice. She will be the first woman to ever lead the agency.  Howell is a DJJ veteran, an attorney who currently serves as Deputy Commissioner.  She is slated to replace Commissioner Garland Hunt in mid-January. DJJ Board members who must approve the appointment, got the word this morning by email. Howell is a long-time child advocate.  She was hired at DJJ by then-Commissioner Albert Murray, who promoted her within the agency. Amy Howell is an alumna of the Barton Clinic at Emory University, where she started in 2002 as an Equal Justice Works fellow, and became Managing Attorney of the Southern Juvenile Defender Center.  According to the Barton website, Howell helped develop protocols for pre-trial mental health assessment, detention alternative policies, and public education on the juvenile justice system.  She has written a manual called “Representing the Whole Child: A Juvenile Defender Training Manual.”

Howell is also past president of the Young Lawyer’s  Division of the State Bar of Georgia. Before she became a lawyer, Howell taught elementary school and worked with special needs and gifted children in North Carolina.  She got her BA from Connecticut College and her JD from Temple University.

LGBT Teens Are More Likely to Get Arrested

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Teens who are lesbian, gay or bisexual are more likely to be arrested, expelled from school and/or put in jail than heterosexual kids, according to a nationwide study. The study also found that gay kids are more vulnerable to health risks including addiction, bullying and family abuse. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health looked at teens in grades seven through 12 who identified themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual. Lesbian girls reported the worst treatment, indicating they were stopped by police 50 percent more often than their straight peers in one experiment. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, is unclear why lesbian, gay or bisexual kids are facing harsher treatment.

Nine Girls Arrested for Gang Activity in Peachtree City

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Nine girls, all 13 to 15 years old, were arrested for gang activity Wednesday morning at their Fayette County schools, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The girls were turned in by other students who reported to school officials that the girls were making threats and wearing pink and black clothes. Peachtree City police were already tracking the girls for allegations of bullying, beating in new gang members, carrying weapons and apparently sharing information on Facebook. Investigators are increasingly monitoring social media websites to track gang activity, as we reported last month. Surveys across the country also show a nationwide trend of girls getting arrested more often than boys.

Mother and Daughter Face Drug Charges for Bringing Ibuprofen to School

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A 12-year-old girl with cramps brought Ibuprofen to her middle school in Columbus, Ga. and is now facing drug charges. Her mother, who provided her with the pills, has been charged with one count of distributing a dangerous drug, according to the Ledger-Enquirer. School officials found the pill bottle in the girl's purse, containing 800-milligram tablets of Ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is classified as a dangerous drug if a single dose is more than 200 milligrams, according to state law.

DJJ Employee Accused of Stealing Gas

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A lieutenant at the Savannah Regional Youth Detention Center was caught using a state fuel card to buy gas for his own car, and he told the GBI he got away with it 40 times.  The Department of Juvenile Justice fired him last March.  The incident is revealed in a new report from the state Inspector General, obtained by Atlantaunfiltered.com.The report documents how the worker used employee identification numbers belonging to other people.  The IG says DJJ was slow to review fuel transactions and look for abuses. State procurement rules have changed since March.

National Study Says Teens Are Smoking More Pot

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The number of pot smoking teens increased this year with one third of high school seniors admitting they used marijuana during the month before participating in a national survey. And it’s not just seniors. One in seven 8th graders and one in four 10th graders are also smoking pot. This data comes from the 2010 National Institute on Drug Abuse Monitoring the Future study, which has been surveying American teens since 1975. The study, designed and conducted by the University of Michigan, looked at more than 46,000 8th, 10th and 12th graders enrolled in over 350 public and private schools.

Survey Finds Physical Bullying Far More Common Than Online Bullying

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Kids are more likely to face a bully in person than online.   The 2009 OJJDP National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence surveyed almost 4,450 kids nationwide, between the ages of 10 and 17.  Here are some highlights:

21.6% said they had been physically bullied. 19.7% reported being teased or emotionally bullied. Kids between the 14 and 17 were more likely to be harassed online.  7.9% of this group admitted being bullied online. Boys were more likely to be bullied or threatened physically, where girls were more likely to be victims of internet harassment.