Mississippi Joins 38 Other States, Raises Juvenile Age to Eighteen

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An amended law that took effect July 1 made Mississippi the latest state to rethink how youth under the age of 18 are handled in criminal court. The new measure prevents most 17-year-old misdemeanor and nonviolent felony offenders from being tried as adults. Certain felonies including rape, murder and armed robbery may still warrant charges in the adult court system. Two other states, Connecticut and Illinois, passed similar reforms earlier this year bringing the national total to 39 states that view juveniles as any individual below the age of 18, according to a report issued last week by the Campaign for Youth Justice. “This is a good news report.” Liz Ryan, director of the Campaign for Youth Justice, -- a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit focused on the issue -- told USA Today.

Boys of Color in Harm's Way

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"Negative health outcomes for African-American and Latino boys and young men are a result of growing up in neighborhoods of concentrated disadvantage, places that are more likely to put boys and young men directly in harm’s way and reinforce harmful behavior." That's the key finding from the report entitled: "Healthy Communities Matter: The Importance of Place to the Health of Boys of Color." The report, which is filled with facts and figures and underwritten by The California Endowment, finds:

When it comes to health and other outcomes, the odds for boys and men of color are more than two times worse than they are for white boys and men in California. African-American and Latino children are 3.5 times more likely to grow up in poverty than their white counterparts. In fact, nearly half of the nation’s African-American and Latino fourth graders attend schools that are characterized by extreme poverty.

House Passes Time-Served Bill for Juvenile Offenders

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Children who are locked up in detention centers while waiting for court dates may get credit for time served under a bill that has passed in the Georgia House.  HB 1144 would require the state to treat juvenile offenders the same way it treats adults. Sponsors call it a "fairness issue as well as a budget issue".  If it passes in the Senate, the plan will free up beds in the juvenile justice system, and allow the state to cut some costs. AJC.com
Macon.com
HB1144