ACLU Challenges School Arrests

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School systems across the country will be watching as the American Civil Liberties Union confronts the New York City school district for allowing police to arrest kids for things like drawing on school desks. The ACLU is working on behalf of five kids who were arrested, claiming police used excessive force to get kids to follow school rules. In a memorandum of law, the ACLU sites cases like this:
Plaintiff L.W. was sixteen when School Safety Officers at his Queens school punched him repeatedly in the head, poked him in the eye, and handcuffed him—all because they suspected he had a cell phone, which he did not, and because he indicated that he did not want to be searched. Click here for the full memorandum.

Delinquent Kids: Focus of New Senate Hearing

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How judges handle delinquent kids could change under proposals for a new juvenile code in Georgia. SB292, Article 7 focuses on kids who’ve committed acts that would be considered crimes if they were adults. Read SB292 here

Read Article 7 of the Proposed Model Code

Julia Neighbors of JUSTGeorgia tells me, “This article will primarily effect defense attorneys, district attorneys and superior court judges.” Article 7 will allow attorneys to access more of a child’s information as well as give superior court judges other options aside from detention. Article 7 fundamentally works to separate “unruly” kids from “delinquent” kids.  Delinquent kids now have alternatives of their own, such as the option to request bail. The Senate Judiciary Committee takes up these changes on September 30th at 2pm in the Capitol, room 450.

5.9% of all high school students carried weapons on school grounds

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According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics 5.9% of all high school students, nationwide, have carried a knife, gun or club onto campus. Of the students who brought weapons to school, 9% were boys and nearly 3% were girls.  The 2009 report breaks down the data even more:

7.3% of students who brought weapons to school were Hispanic
6% of students were black
5.3% of students were white

Child Prostitution Ads Censored on Craigslist

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Craigslist has deactivated its controversial adult services section, under pressure from attorneys general in 17 states. The giant online ad service has been hammered for posting ads that sell underage girls for prostitution. The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that erotic services links are covered with the word “censored” for locations inside the U.S., but still active outside the U.S.

The Attorneys General sent a scathing letter to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster and founder Craig Newmark.  Here’s an excerpt:
The increasingly sharp public criticism of Craigslist’s Adult Services section reflects a growing recognition that ads for prostitution -- including ads trafficking children -- are rampant on it. In our view, the company should take immediate action to end the misery for the women and children who may be exploited and victimized by these ads.

Normer Adams: Street Workers Prevent Violence

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Research funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that street outreach workers can be an effective strategy to reach and engage youth with the goal of violence prevention and intervention. Street workers are typically members of the community who intervene to prevent conflict and retaliation, and in some programs, also connect individuals with needed services, such as housing and job training. The study evaluated the program run by the United Teen Equality Center in Lowell, Mass., a city of 105,167 residents north of Boston.  This program used  a process of peacemaking, which typically involves engaging gang leaders in conflict mediation, convening peace circles, participating in peace summits, and organizing a peace council. The results are published in the Fall 2010 issue of Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action. For more information about the study click here

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Normer Adams is Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children and a writer, speaker and consultant on family and social issues such as advocacy, lobbying, and child welfare policy. Learn more at www.gahsc.org/

Worst of the Internet – Manual on Molesting Children

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A 170 page manual, with instructions on how to find and molest children, is being passed around on an email listserv.  Police in Orange County, Florida are horrified by this discovery.  They have no idea where it originated, but they hope to track where it goes.  WFTV-TV in Orlando interviews Det. Phillip Graves, a sex crimes investigator, who says this booklet is one of the most disturbing things he's seen online.  The author calls himself “the mule” but police have no idea who he is. The story is generating outrage and buzz about First Amendment rights. Investigators say sending the manual by email or possessing it is not a crime.  You can guess the reaction from a website called shuddup.com.

New Online Resource for Drug Courts

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Juvenile drug court is a successful alternative for youth with alcohol and drug problems, according to the U.S. Office of Justice Programs (OJP). A child placed in the juvenile drug court docket meets weekly with a team of professionals to find the best ways to handle his or her problems.

The OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance has teamed up with the National Association of Drug Court Professionals to create the new online National Drug Court Resource Center. The Center provides a network of support and information to give understanding to those who are involved or interested in drug courts. At the Resource Center you’ll find training opportunities, research statistics and ways to get funding. You’ll soon be able to follow blogs and chat live with others who also care about this topic.

DeKalb DA Resigns to Work for Feds

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The DeKalb County District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming resigned Wednesday. President Obama has appointed her to the post of the regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency. As District Attorney, Fleming managed 13,000 cases a year and oversaw 165 employees. She will now oversee eight states, including Georgia, and six tribal nations, according to the AJC. It’s up to Governor Purdue to appoint a replacement.

Young Sex Offenders: Public or Private Knowledge?

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The national debate about kids who are convicted of sex offenses is under the microscope in St. Louis. Is it the public’s right to know who these kids are and does it justify the impact on a young person’s life for years to come? As a juvenile, Michael Church was convicted of a sex crime. Now at age 22, Church is in jail again, accused of trying to lure two girls to his home, according to KMOV-TV.

I Got Arrested! Now What?

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Here’s a new way to teach kids about the juvenile court system from the Center for Urban Pedagogy: It’s a comic strip called I Got Arrested! Now What? This is a fold out poster/comic that was developed for kids in New York. The comic follows one teen through his experience in the system and was developed by The Center for Urban Pedagogy in collaboration with the Center for Court Innovation and the Youth Justice Board. The comic was drawn by graphic novelist Danica Novgorodoff and can be downloaded as a PDF or purchased through PayPal.