Juvenile Justice Information Exchange (https://jjie.org/tag/juvenile-justice/page/92/)
A Federal bill called the STANDUP Act (Safe Teen and Novice Driver Uniform Protection Act) aims to save lives behind the wheel. But it could mean new restrictions for teen drivers in Georgia and across the nation:
Conditional driver’s licenses for all teens under 18. Learner’s permit starting at 16. New limits on teen driving at night. No more than one passenger under age 21 while a teen is at the wheel.
Fast food restaurants and shopping centers for years have had better security than many schools. Yet there are still people questioning security measures, such as cameras and police officers, being placed in our schools. In most fast food restaurants, you can only enter through a limited number of open doors. When you step inside, you are usually promptly greeted and asked how you can be helped. Many of these facilities have surveillance cameras inside and out, and even at the drive-through windows. Too often, we still do not see this level of security in some of our nation’s schools . Seriously – think about it: For years we have protected hamburger better than our school children and teachers. I find it interesting not only many students, but also many adults, don’t have a problem with police, security cameras, and other protection measures for their suburban shopping mall security or at a fast food restaurant. Yet some of these same individuals believe we should have a lower standard of protection for students and teachers in schools.
The Supreme Court decision to ban life-without-parole sentences for juveniles who didn’t kill anyone has turned Florida’s legal system upside down, according to the Miami Herald. The Graham decision echoes the idea that because a teen’s brain is not fully developed, he or she deserves a chance to change. More than 100 cases in the state of Florida are eligible for resentencing, but the courts are struggling to figure out an alternative sentence to life without parole. Some state officials feel that certain prisoners have no chance of changing and will only reoffend if released on parole. Others feel this decision could force prisons to focus more on rehabilitation, especially for juvenile offenders, and lead to less recidivism.
Welfare Watch - September 23, 2010 - Georgia Conference on Children and Families
The Georgia Conference on Children and Families (GCCF) comes at a most appropriate time. Georgia's way of caring for its at-risk children in its child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health and developmental disabilities systems is rapidly changing. It is a time of sometimes overwhelming rapid change with new paradigms of thinking and acting. This economic crisis is causing both public and private agencies to identify their core activities. Data is becoming increasing important as it drives all direct services to evidence based practices. Family and community are important players in the system that once only had the "experts" at the table. The panacea of programs has been replaced with systems of care that includes all aspects of the child's life. This Conference serves the needs of stakeholders in child welfare to understand this change and even to embrace it. Just as Georgia is being seen as one of the leading states in the nation in child welfare work, stakeholders are struggling to keep up.
Cobb Alcohol Taskforce to Hold Youth Council Summit Hosted by The Walker School –
Seeking 100 Cobb County Youth to Participate
September 23, 2010, Marietta, GA – Cobb Alcohol Taskforce will hold a Youth Council Summit at The Walker School on October 23, 2010. The event will be a day full of fun with interactive activities led by youth delegates of the Cobb Alcohol Taskforce Youth Council – Take It Back chapter. Youth facilitated workshops will focus on giving youth a voice that will shake up adult attitudes and beliefs about underage and youth binge drinking. Summit attendees will receive branded t-shirts and drawstring bags; beeligible for drawings for gift cards; receive community service learning and hours; and receive community recognition for participation in a project aimed at making a difference in underage and youth binge drinking. Cobb County middle and high school aged youth who represent an existing school or community youth group are invited to register to attend this free event.
The issue of child sex trafficking is becoming more pointed as new research comes out about the vastness of the problem. A heart-wrenching interview with a survivor of child trafficking came out during testimony before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee last week:
When I was 12 years old, a guy I thought was just a “dope [cool] boy” kept following me in his car when I walked to school…eventually I got in the car with him. For a while we were girlfriend and boyfriend; we would go everywhere together. It didn’t take long before I experienced the real treatment— being beaten, stomped on, manipulated and sold all day every day. Shared Hope International, a non-profit committed to globally preventing and eradicating sex trafficking and slavery, testified to the Committee about the problem of child trafficking in the U.S.
Linda Smith, Founder and President, represented the organization and focused on the current issues in domestic child trafficking response.
Parents across the country are talking about the 11-year-old babysitter in Sandy Springs charged with murdering a 2-year-oldgirl this week. Some are asking if it's wise to leave a child in the care of an 11-year-old. Time magazine tries to answer this question. It looks like there are enough 11-year-olds babysitting that the American Red Cross has a course designed for 11 to 15-year-olds, teaching things like how to keep kids safe and how to handle emergencies. Time reports there doesn’t seem to be any government regulation on babysitting.
Middle school kids nationwide, specifically minorities, are facing out of school suspension at alarming rates, according to a study published by the Southern Poverty Law Center called Suspended Education: Urban Middle Schools in Crisis. Atlanta is one of 18 urban school districts the researchers studied. Using data from more than 9,000 middle schools they discovered a suspension rate of 11.2 percent. But the suspension rate for black boys was dramatically higher at 28.3 percent…almost three times higher than the rate for white boys.The research focuses on middle schools and warns suspensions in these grades may have significant, long-term repercussions for students. Also, few previous studies have separated middle school data from that for all grades, masking the extraordinarily high frequency of suspension in middle schools.
A two-year old girl died Saturday night and Sandy Springs police are charging her 11 year-old babysitter with murder. Little Zyda White died of a severe head wound and other injuries, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Police interviewed the babysitter, who allegedly told them the toddler fell off a bed, but they believe the injuries were not accidental. Zyda's mother called 911 as soon as she picked up her daughter late Saturday and saw her condition. She told reporters Tuesday afternoon that she wants the babysitter to spend the rest of her life in prison. While police are charging the 11-year old with felony murder and cruelty to children, the charges could be modified by the Fulton County D.A. Under Georgia law, children under 13 must be tried in juvenile court. Readers commenting on 11alive.com questioned why an 11 year old child was caring for a 2-year old.
A national advocacy group is pushing a petition campaign for passage of a new juvenile code in Georgia. Change.org, a national website that provides daily news and information about social justice issues, is circulating an online petition in support of SB 292. According to the website, 38 people have signed up in support. Among many issues, the state bill focuses on:
Keeping kids tried as adults in juvenile detention centers until they turn 17, rather than putting them in adult prison. (Supporters say this will help protect incarcerated children from being victimized behind bars).