Not Your Average Schoolhouse: Inside Ga.’s Largest Detention Center

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In many ways it looks like a typical school building – the non-descript tan brick exterior, the packed parking lot and the flagpole with the American and Georgia state flags thrashing in the wind out front. The majestic arched fence topped by a mass of coiled barbed wire is the first tipoff.  And the fact that you have to step inside and a guard must view you on a surveillance camera, before buzzing you into the fenced-in walkway confirms it. Clearly this isn’t your average schoolhouse. Welcome to the Metro Atlanta Regional Youth Detention Center, a 200-bed facility (maximum capacity of 150 boys and 50 girls) where Georgia youth who are in trouble with the law live and learn while they navigate the criminal justice system.  On this day, the population is down, 132 students are onsite.

Hotel and Airline Workers Get Training to Spot Victims of Child Sex Trafficking

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Hotel and airline workers are getting trained to spot child sex trafficking, according to Reuters.com. Innocents At Risk, a nonprofit focused on fighting child exploitation and human trafficking, is working with Airline Ambassadors International and the Air Transport Association. They have a training program to help flight attendants, hotel desk clerks, cleaning crews and other workers spot children in trouble. Signs of child trafficking include:

The child has few personal items when they board the plane. The child avoids eye contact, looks paranoid, undernourished and behaves in an unusually submissive manner.

Update: Teen Driver Dead, Roy Barnes’ Granddaughter in Surgery

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A 17 year old boy died Monday, after a head-on collision that injured the grandchildren of gubernatorial candidate Roy Barnes.  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that Mario D. Zuniga of Kennesaw passed away from a head injury.  Cobb police say he was behind the wheel of a Porsche Boxster and driving too fast on Sunday, when he swerved into oncoming traffic, hitting the mini-van carrying Allison Barnes Salter and her two children. "We definitely know that speed was a factor in the crash, but we don’t know the exact speed,” said Cobb County police officer Joseph Hernandez. Police are still examining the teen's Porsche Boxster. They don't know if other factors, such as a cell phone, might have played a role. The crash has taken a toll on three different families and four children.  Barnes’ 4-year-old granddaughter, Ella, had surgery for a broken arm, according to Anna Ruth Williams, a spokeswoman for his campaign.

Family of Roy Barnes Hit by Teen Driver

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A 17 year old boy is in critical condition after a crash that also injured the grandchildren of gubernatorial candidate Roy Barnes.  The teen, who was driving a Porsche Boxster, apparently swerved into oncoming traffic.  Cobb Police say he hit a minivan carrying the former governor's daughter, Allison Barnes Salter, and her two children. The crash happened Sunday afternoon on Old Mountain Road near Marietta. Barnes’ two granddaughters, who are 4 and 7 years old, are both hospitalized, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Also hospitalized is a 16 year old, who was riding in the Porsche. Police believe the teens were speeding, but the investigation is ongoing.

Jailed Kids Drugged Without Diagnosis

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Kids behind bars in American juvenile facilities are getting anti-psychotic drugs intended for bipolar or schizophrenic patients, even when they haven’t been diagnosed with either disorder, according to a year-long investigation by Youth Today. Even in cases when diagnoses are made for such disorders, some experts believe those diagnoses are rooted in convenience rather than the medical evidence. “Critics believe most of these diagnoses are simply a cover for the fact that prisons now use drugs as a substitute for banned physical restraints that once were used on juveniles who aggressively acted out,” Youth Today points out. The findings come from state juvenile systems that provided in-depth information on their use of the drugs. Only 16 states responded to a nationwide survey by Youth Today.

DJJ Lands Historic Dual Accreditations

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Apparently more than just students are thriving in Georgia’s Department of Juvenile Justice School System – the instructors, staff and administrators too have made the grade. DJJ’s school district has officially been recommended for accreditation from both the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Correctional Education Association (CEA). The recommendations were announced Wednesday following an intensive four-day visit from representatives from both accrediting bodies. “I’m happy,” gushed DJJ Commissioner Garland Hunt soon after the announcement. “I inherited a great system, with great people.

Justice Department Targets Youth and Gang Violence

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The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a new campaign to prevent youth and gang violence.  The project, called the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, is supported by the White House and multiple agencies, including Education, Labor, HUD, and the CDC. Teams from Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, San Jose and Salinas, CA are looking for innovative and data-driven strategies to fight crime and improve opportunities for young people.  They’ll present their plans at a Youth Violence Summit next spring, then share their findings with other cities. The National League of Cities supports the effort, but is urging the feds to look at how crime prevention programs are funded, to give local governments more flexibility. Read the full DOJ News Release for more info

Paulding Co. Boy, 11, Caught With Gun At School

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An 11-year-old Paulding County boy is now in his mother’s custody one day after he was caught with a gun in his backpack at school. Students alerted East Paulding Middle School administrators on Monday that the boy had the gun in his bookbag. School leaders then called the Paulding County Sheriff's Office. A resource officer dispatched to the scene later removed the .40 caliber gun from the student’s bag without incident. The boy was taken to the sheriff's office and charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds.

Helping Kids Achieve in Acworth

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The City of Acworth, GA.,  is supporting a program called the Acworth Achievers. Five years ago, Acworth identified a concern about at-risk kids within the city limits and began developing a program. The goal of this program is to help middle and high school children make better decisions through after-school and mentoring programs.

“This will offer more opportunities and give kids better decision making skills so they can become productive adults,” Frank White, the Director of Acworth Achievers and the Recreation Coordinator for Acworth Parks and Recreation said. “It’s about inspiring kids to be the very best that they can be,” Mayor Tommy Allegood said. Click below to hear more from Mayor Allegood about the Acworth Achievers.

Babysitter Charged In Toddler’s Murder Is 10, Not 11

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The Juvenile Justice Information Exchange (JJIE.org) has confirmed from a confidential source that the girl charged in the death of a toddler left in her care is actually 10-years-old not 11, as has been extensively reported. The age of the girl facing felony murder and child cruelty charges in the death of two-year-old Zyda White is just one of many new details JJIE.org has learned about the babysitter, whose name has not been released. Sandy Springs Police spokesman Lt. Steve Rose has confirmed more details about what allegedly happened on September 18. Police said the mothers of both girls were co-workers at a Chili’s Restaurant near Perimeter Mall. They worked the evening shift at the restaurant on the night of the incident, according to Rose.