Big Brother to Watch Kids in School

By |

Police in Pennsylvania will soon be watching live feeds from wireless school security cameras. The Franklin Regional school District has 128 cameras in five schools.  Murrysville Police will be able to watch those cameras online, plus access floor plans in an emergency.  The fire department and Emergency Management Office will also have access through a secure server.  The system, funded by a $100,000 grant, is expected to go live next January. Parents are concerned the live camera feeds might be used by police to watch their children without cause, or do surveillance.  The story in Government Technology Magazine does not fully address legal and privacy issues, or what steps will be taken to prevent hackers from tapping into the system.  But the school district is expected to create policies on who will have access to the server and when.  All access will be tracked and monitored.  And school officials say the system will not be linked to student records or personnel information.

Child Prostitutes: Criminals or Victims?

By |

SB 304, the bill to treat child prostitutes as victims rather than criminals, may have failed in the last session, but supporters have vowed to revive it. The new campaign is apparently underway. 

The latest round comes from Jonathan Todres, a law professor at Georgia State and advisor to ECPAT-USA (End Chld Prostitution and Trafficking).  He writes about a ruling by the Texas Supreme Court, involving a 13 year old caught with her 32 year old boyfriend and arrested for prostitution. The court said a child under the age of consent cannot be criminally charged with prostitution. Professor Todres argues that child prostitutes should be treated as victims of exploitation not as criminals, and they need help. Read his new opinion in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. There is no indication that conservative Christian groups have changed their position opposing this plan. As Dale Austin from Concerned Women for America of Georgia argued last Spring, they believe it would decriminalize prostitution, create a friendly environment for pimps and traffickers, and remove all discretion by juvenile court judges on how to handle child prostitutes.

Atlanta’s War on Child Prostitution

By |

Atlanta’s battle against child prostitution and sex trafficking is getting national attention, and so is the broad coalition of groups that are fighting the problem. The campaign called A Future Not a Past, which studies commercial sex exploitation of girls in Georgia, is winning funds and converts across the nation. Sojourners Magazine reports The Women’s Funding Network is modeling similar campaigns in Michigan, Minnesota and New York. Writer Letitia Campbell takes us through the history of the movement and what’s next in the battle.

School Sued for Handcuffing Child

By |

A first grader in New Orleans is the new poster child for excessive school discipline.  The boy, identified as J.W., was arrested, handcuffed and allegedly shackled to a desk by school police after arguing with another child over a seat in the lunchroom.   The Southern Poverty Law Center filed a class action lawsuit Thursday in Federal Court, claiming the arrest for a minor violation of school rules is unlawful and a violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.   Read the complaint here. The complaint names the elementary school principal, school superintendent and security director, and was filed on behalf of all children in the school.  SPLC Attorney Thena Robinson says, "We’re hopeful this [lawsuit] will send a powerful message. We have to treat kids with dignity.  There are ways to keep kids safe and treat them with dignity." The boy’s father, Sebastian Weston, says his son was treated like an animal is now terrified of school.   Watch his statement in this video from WWL-TV

A spokesman for the Recovery School District confirms the incident happened May 6, and two security officers were fired, but would not comment further.

Jail for Parents who Skip Meetings?

By |

Parents who fail to attend at least one student teacher conference a year could wind up in jail for up to 3 days if a Detroit prosecutor gets her way.  The idea behind this proposal is to make parents accountable for their child’s education, and keep kids in school and out of trouble.  The idea is meeting strong opposition. One local politician recommends spending the money to teach parenting skills instead. A parent points out that if parents are in jail, their children may get into trouble at home alone.   The debate on this issue is so hot, 100 people have posted their comments at the Detroit Free Press website.

Why More Girls are Getting Arrested

By |

When 16-year old twins Tasmiyah and Jasmiyah Whitehead were arrested earlier this year for murdering their mother, family friends seemed hardly surprised. The mother’s boyfriend, Robert Head, speculated the girls killed their mom for money. A neighbor, Angela Avery, said the mom lived in fear of her daughters.  In police photos the twins look particularly mean. And news reports have, in many ways, already convicted the girls although they have yet to be tried. Their arrests have raised the question in local and national media of whether girls, particularly teens, are becoming more violent. Ironically, rates of murder by girls are at their lowest levels in forty years -- but lately the number of female juvenile delinquents has exploded.

Collateral Consequences

By |

The American Bar Association wants to show teenagers how minor crime can have big consequences that last a lifetime.  A new project will soon give children, families, attorneys and judges information about the collateral consequences of crimes and legal decisions.  Should a child take a plea or go to trial?  How will certain choices affect their prospects for staying in school, going to college or getting a job? The Collateral Consequences Project is creating a nationwide resource online that will spell out many of the consequences for children, based on the laws of each state.  Lawyers and researchers have been gathering information for more than a year.   By early fall, they expect to roll out a website with state-by-state sections, and printable files.   “The goal is to create a resource for public defenders, prosecutors, judges, children, parents and policy makers,” says Kate Richtman, chair of the ABA’s Juvenile Justice Committee. A key feature of the project will be cards called Think  About  It, that public defenders, court officers and non-profit programs can hand out.  The State Bar of Georgia plans to distribute Think About It cards to 8th graders in the public schools, because that’s when they learn about the justice system.  Deborah Craytor, Director of Law Related Education for the State Bar of Georgia says, “We want to put one in the hand of every child every year.”

The Collateral Consequences Project arose out of a discussion between Richtman, who is also Chief Juvenile Prosecutor in St. Paul, MN, and Christopher Gowen, Senior Staff Attorney at the ABA.

Recovery schools offer kids support

By |

Teens trying to stay clean from drugs and alcohol may do better by going to a Recovery High School. There are more than 30 of these specialized schools across the United States. Fewer than 20% of students who have gone through drug treatment programs remain sober once they return home, according to the Association of Recovery Schools. A blog from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation called reclaimingfutures.org explains that the 23 year old program combines education and support.  The program allows students in recovery to get course credit towards a high school diploma or a college degree.

Summit warns teens of texting and online dangers

By |

Teens who are involved in sexting and posting lewd comments on social networks risk getting arrested.  That warning came from John Walsh, television host of America’s Most Wanted, and James Andrews of Everywhere, at the National Teen Summit on Internet Safety.  The Summit, sponsored by Cox Communications, enlisted teens from around the nation on Tuesday morning.  Walsh reminded teens of the dangers of social networking sites and cell phones and how to avoid legal issues.  Andrews is a social media expert who recommends that teens use privacy settings on Facebook, just like their favorite celebrities do. Watch the Summit below:

Hugs and High Hopes at Celebration of Excellence

By |

A special kind of high school graduation ceremony honored 400 young people at Atlanta's Celebration of Excellence.  The achievements of children in foster care are the highlight of this annual event.  It's designed to show kids, who've traveled a tough road, that people care about them and will help them succeed.  Keynote speaker Victoria Rowell shared her experience as a foster kid who became an actress and author.  Eight community organizations, including the NSORO Foundation and the Juvenile Law Committee of the Young Lawyers Division sponsored the evening.  Reporter and videographer Amani Channel captured the hugs and hopes at the Celebration of Excellence.