Many Doctors in Florida Juvenile Justice System Taking Large Payments from Drug Companies

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In Florida, an investigation by The Palm Beach Post discovered more than a third of psychiatrists working for the state juvenile jails have accepted large speaking fees from pharmaceutical companies producing the anti-psychotic drugs regularly prescribed to kids in the Florida juvenile justice system. According to The Post, child advocates are claiming the doctors are over-prescribing the powerful psychotropic drugs to children in the juvenile jails as a “chemical restraint” and not for a legitimate medical reason. As a consequence of The Post’s findings, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Wansley Walters began an investigation into how psychotropic drugs are prescribed to children in DJJ custody.  

Florida 12-Year-Old Faces Life Without Parole in Murder Case

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The continuing debate about sentencing juveniles to life without parole has real-world implications for a 12-year-old boy in Jacksonville, Fla., accused of killing his two-year-old half-brother. The Florida attorney general, Angela Corey (pictured at left) charged Christian Fernandez as an adult in the first-degree murder case. Corey quoted in the Florida Times-Union, said eight years was not enough time to rehabilitate Fernandez. But his adult status leaves Fernandez open to the possibility of a life sentence. The Times-Union story describes how Corey’s staff spent two months examining the 12-year-old before deciding how to charge him.  The story also takes a long look at the history of juvenile life without parole sentences.

A joint. JJIE file photo. Ryan Schill / JJIE.org

20/20 Finds the Source of Fake Pot and it’s Not Local

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Packages of synthetic marijuana are one place you won’t find a “Made in China” sticker.  But in a report airing tonight, ABC’s 20/20 discovered that the pouches of dried leaves and herbs—sold as incense—probably should. The “incense” gets its punch from a variety of synthetic cannabinoids sprayed onto the dried plant matter and ABC’s investigation traced the source of the chemical back to suppliers in China. A few weeks ago we reported on the dangers of smoking products such as “K4” and “Spice Gold.”  In most states they are completely legal and sold in convenience stores and smoking shops.  Because they are marked “Not for human consumption,” the FDA does not regulate them and no ID is required to purchase them.  You don’t have to be 18 years old to buy a pack of fake pot. For the full story, go read our report, “The Straight Dope on Fake Dope.”

 

The Gang Violence That Never Was — Social Media and Bad Journalism in Boston

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Law enforcement officials are trying to figure out why supposedly massive fights erupted between teens on a crowded Boston beach over Memorial Day weekend. Initial reports, from Massachusetts State Police, were that gangs had used Facebook to organize violent gatherings. Then, on Tuesday, Boston’s police commissioner said whatever fights that did break out didn't seem to have anything to do with gangs. And finally state police started backpedalling their gang violence theory. Regardless, media outlets were all atwitter with the social media, “gang warfare” angle  — underscoring how sensational media memes can overwhelm any attempt by the public to understand the dynamics of teen violence.

Hornberg

Hornberger Advice: Juvenile Offenders Need Alternatives to Prisons

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Nancy Gannon Hornberger, executive director of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ), says research shows that it is important to "keep the kids out of heavy duty lockup as much as possible." In this video interview conducted by Leonard Witt, she says "Reclaim Ohio" is a project that saves money and has better outcomes than the bars and chains approach. See subheads and time split guide below the video. Time splits to help guide you through the video:
Introduction 00:00
Conference theme: Developing sentencing alternatives to harsh punishment 00:30
Research shows that normal settings for sentences work best 01:20
Settings built on relationships is better than bars and chains 02:10
Reclaim Ohio is best practice example; cuts lockups and saves money 3:04

“Defending Childhood” Public Service Announcement to Star Attorney General

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U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s  “Defending Childhood” initiative is taking a higher profile this week with the airing of a public service announcement promoting the effort. The attorney general launched the initiative in September to address what he called “a national crisis”: the exposure of the American children to violence as both victims and witnesses. A Department of Justice-funded study had concluded that most children have been “exposed to violence, crime, or abuse in their homes, schools, and communities. The consequences of this problem are significant and widespread. Children’s exposure to violence, whether as victims or witnesses, is often associated with long-term physical, psychological and emotional harm.

ID Theft Tied to Foster Care System

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Imagine getting bills for services you didn’t get when still a teen — and then finding out when you’re 18 that your credit rating is already shot. This Rhode Island TV station found three kids who went through that brand of identity theft. They shared two other things in common: All went through Rhode Island’s foster care system, and all believe the identity thief was a family member or close friend. The station says a congressmen, Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., plans to introduce legislation in Congress designed to protect potential victims of such crimes. You’ll find more on WPRI’s investigation here.

Juvenile Justice Expert David Schmidt Discusses Juvenile Life Without Parole

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Are sentences of life without parole for juveniles a death sentence? David Schmidt thinks so. See the short version just below. For more information on topics on like why a kid convicted of triple murder should still be released by the age of 21 see the full interview at the bottom of this page. Here are the time splits for the important topics Schmidt covers in the longer version below:

Life without parole - 00:33
Judge still could give 150 years - 1:20
Are we tough enough on kids - 1:38
There are dangerous young people - 2:03
Consider the individuals - 2:20
The New Mexico model and a triple murder - 3:00
Life without parole is a death sentence - 5:00
2,500 kids in jail without parole in 27 states - 5:50
Supreme Court acted cowardly - 7:05
Judge's and prosecutor's power - 8:00

Delinquency Prevention is Latest Area to Face Big Cuts

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Prevention seems to have become a four-letter word in Washington. The latest evidence? Last week, the Department of Justice finally announced how much money the states would get through grant programs under the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The numbers are ugly. Georgia saw its share of the money decline by 28.6 percent, from $3.72 million to $2.66 million.