Gov. Deal Signs Human Trafficking Bill Into Law

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The human trafficking bill that toughens the penalty for sex traffickers and seeks to improve outcomes for victims has been officially signed into Georgia law.  

A small crowd of supporters gathered around Governor Nathan Deal Tuesday afternoon as he signed HB 200 at My Sister’s House in the Atlanta Mission. The legislation was introduced this year by Rep. Ed Lindsey (R-Atlanta) and passed within the same legislative session, which wrapped up last month.  

The governor and his wife, First Lady Sandra Deal, shared encouraging words to the families of trafficking survivors during the signing event. Both commended child advocates for remaining vigilant in their work to eradicate child sex trafficking.

Census of Kids on Probation

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The latest census by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention offers insight into the number of kids nationwide and in the south who are on probation for various crimes. The number of kids in the southern states make up more than a fourth of the crimes. The southern states include: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia as well as the District of Columbia.

The Heavy Cost of a High School Drug Offense

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The Washington Post has a story about the harsh realities of drug offenses, even minor ones, in high school. The story, by Donna St. George, focuses on a teen facing some slim college choices after school officials in Fairfax County, Va., imposed stiff penalties on him for bringing a device to school that is used for smoking marijuana. The point of the piece is to show how families, and now some school systems, are struggling with the repercussions of school policies that can vastly alter the lives of young people.

Judge Steve Teske On The Road Less Traveled to Make Good Law for Kids

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“What begins with anger ends with shame.”

Benjamin Franklin

I was asked this past week to visit the North Carolina General Assembly and speak to legislators about effective juvenile justice practices -- what works and what doesn’t work.  Like Georgia and most states, North Carolina too was hit hard by the economy and is making hard decisions to cut programs — the state is 3.6 billion in the hole. The irony of budgeting in a fiscal crisis is that it forces policymakers to scrutinize the way things have always been done. When you have to cut, the question is what to cut and hopefully the less effective programs are cut and replaced by more effective and cost efficient alternatives. Our discussions in North Carolina focused on what works and what doesn’t work -- and typically what works is more cost effective. What doesn’t work is less effective and more expensive to the taxpayer --incarceration of kids in most circumstances is ineffective.

Youth Justice Barbecue Celebrates Juvenile Code Rewrite Progress

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Advocates, youth and members of the public gathered this weekend at Exchange Park in Decatur, Ga. to celebrate a year of progress toward juvenile code reform in Georgia. VOX Teen Communications hosted the barbecue along with a coalition of youth-focused non-profits that have concentrated on making proposed changes to Georgia’s Juvenile Code a reality. JUSTGeorgia, EmpowerMEnt, the Sapelo Foundation and VOX Teen Communications have formed a mesh of alliances to give youth a voice in matters that affect them and advocate for the first changes in the Children’s Code in more than four decades. An initiative started by Giovan Bazan and Octavia Fugerson at VOX Teen Communications more than a year ago sought to collect the voices of youth from around the state who were directly affected by the juvenile or foster care systems. The series generated such a positive response it was pursued by EmpowerMEnt and spearheaded by Bazan and other youth leaders after the founders aged-out of work at VOX.

New Graduate Program in Criminal Justice Offers Advanced Knowledge

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A new master’s degree program in Criminal Justice begins in the fall at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga. The Master’s of Science in Criminal Justice features eight experienced faculty members and an expanded curriculum that includes courses such as “Critical Issues in Criminal Justice” and “Criminal Justice Policy and Analysis.”

A summer study abroad program gives students a chance to participate in experiential education in another country. The current undergraduate program in Criminal Justice includes 650 students.  Kennesaw State University is the third largest university in Georgia and faculty and students will be provided a number of research opportunities in collaboration with several centers in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.  

April 29, 2011

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Read up:

Newt Gingrich Among Conservatives Backing NAACP Prison Reform Report:
http://bit.ly/NAACPreports

Want to Ask the Nation a Couple of Questions?:
http://bit.ly/juvypoll

Georgia Foster Kids' Psych Drug Use Under Review:
http://bit.ly/fostermeds

Host: Ryan Schill
Multimedia: Clay Duda

Michelle Turner – An Open Letter to the Cobb County, Ga., District Attorney

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Dear District Attorney Head;

I am writing in reference to the 16-year-old Cobb County boy who is being charged with two misdemeanor counts, including second degree vehicular homicide, in connection with an April 13 accident that claimed the life of the boy's mother. My name is Michelle Turner, and my family has been through almost exactly the same experience as this 16-year-old. I am begging you not to pursue charges against this boy. His life has already been drastically changed. He will forever have to live with the fact that he was driving the car on that horrific day when the accident took place.

Upcoming Conferences To Highlight Juvenile Justice, Crimes Against Children

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Juvenile justice and child welfare issues will be the focus of two upcoming national conferences. The Washington, D.C.-based Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is sponsoring the “Conference for Children's Justice & Safety
 Unite, Build, Lead” October 10-14 in National Harbor, Md. The four-day forum will bring together juvenile justice practitioners and policymakers from across the nation to review current trends and promising practices in juvenile justice. The “Conference for Children's Justice & Safety 
Unite, Build, Lead” will feature workshops, plenaries and keynote sessions beginning October 12. Topics covered will include crimes against children, anti-gang strategies, children's exposure to violence, disproportionate minority contact, girls' delinquency, tribal youth programs, emergency planning for juvenile justice, faith-based and community involvement, mentoring, truancy and bullying and substance abuse.