Brevity is the soul of wit.
-- ShakespeareBrevity on the NetWednesday, June 21, 2006 A weekly newsletter about juvenile justice
from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges,
Brevity brings you news and information from around the country and on the Internet.
Have a question about juvenile justice? Ask me
Would you like to receive Brevity each week automatically?
See How to Subscribe at the bottom of this page. No charge. Ever. Brevity is free. There are three useful small icons in the upper right corner of Brevity.
They allow you to make Brevity into a pdf file, to print Brevity, or to send it as an email.
Report of the Task Force on Children with Sexual Behavior Problems ASTA, The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, has released this report. The Task Force was asked to address how assessment should be linked to intervention activities, what intervention models or components are most effective, and the role of family involvement in intervention. It also addressed a number of scientific and public policy issues concerning child with sexual behavior problems. 32 page pdf file. ++++++++++ Discussion Forums for Jurisdictions Affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita NCJFCJ, in partnerships with the American Bar Association and the National Center for State Courts, and with support from the Department of Health and Human Services, is sponsoring discussion forums for judges, court staff, attorneys, caseworkers, service providers, and others working with abused and neglected children and their families in jurisdictions affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. If you live or work in a jurisdiction which suffered damage or if you are in a jurisdiction serving evacuees, you are invited to register and join the discussion forum. The forum format is designed to serve as a resource to you, allowing participants to pose questions, exchange information, and inform others about your challenges and successes. Click on the link above to go to the forum site. ++++++++++ Backpack Clubs for Hungry Kids On Friday afternoons throughout the school year, members of the Backpack clubs at elementary schools across the country gather to fill their backpacks with food for weekend breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Children carry backpacks that look like the typical backpacks in which children carry books and supplies. They keep children from being teased by their classmates for being poor. The food in each backpack costs between $2 and $3, and when filled weighs between seven to 10 pounds. They provide balanced meals for children for the weekend. Some backpack carriers guard their food and hide it. Others share it with their families. ++++++++++ Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 2002: Selected Findings Melissa Sickmund of NCJJ, writing for the Juvenile Offenders and Victims National Report Series, reports on the findings of the juvenile residential facility census. From 2000 to 2002, the number of juvenile offenders in custody decreased in 36 states. The report also finds the facility crowding affects a substantial proportion of youth in custody. Other findings: Many juvenile offenders are in facilities with more residents than standard beds. Half of juvenile offenders are in facilities where in-house mental health professionals assess all youth. Deaths of juveniles in custody are relatively rare – suicide was the leading cause in 2002 and in that year 24 juvenile facilities reported a total of 26 deaths.
15 page pdf file. ++++++++++ Drop in U.S. Rape Cases
The number of rapes per capita in the United States has plunged by more than 85% since the 1970s and reported rape fell last year even while other violent offenses increased, according to federal crime data. The huge reduction in sexual violence has been so consistent over the past two decades that some experts say they have started to believe it is accurate, even if they cannot fully explain why it is occurring. ++++++++++ School Bus Videotape Shows Beating of Boy
Videotape shows a 10-year-old boy being repeatedly punched by two other older boys while the driver continued on her route without stopping. The videotape from a camera on the bus shows two boys taunting and teasing Chester Gala on their way home from a middle school 30 miles north of Detroit, Michigan, then punching him repeatedly. ++++++++++ Mothers to Serve Prison Sentences While Caring for Their Young Children In early 2008, Our Children’s Place will be located in a state-owned building with a nursery, classrooms, and group living accommodations for 20 mothers and their children. To be eligible, the women must be charged only with nonviolent crimes, serving sentences of no longer than five years. Up to two children, age six or younger, may live with each mother. ++++++++++ National Resource on Identify Theft This would be a good web site to include in your Favorites just in case you should ever need it. It is a one-stop national resource to learn about the crime of identify theft and steps you can take to minimize your risk and the damage if a problem occurs. ++++++++++ Community Service Learning This innovative new juvenile justice approach applies principles of school-based service learning, balanced and restorative justice, and law-related education to update and improve traditional, court-ordered, mandatory community service. It is published in the Spring 2006 issue of the quarterly online newsletter of the Constitutional Rights Foundation. ++++++++++ Girl Scouts Meet in Prison With Their Fathers The regular monthly meeting of Girl Scout Troop 884 takes place at the Allen Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison in northwestern Ohio. On Wednesday afternoons girls from six to 12 years old arrive for the two-hour meeting with their dads, most of them imprisoned for drug trafficking. The goal is to establish a relationship between parent and child. Parents learn how to lead by example, how to set goals and how to simply spend time with their children. The girls learn how to deal with the burden of having a parent in prison, how to respect themselves, and how to be a responsible kid. ++++++++++ New Study Disproves the Methamphetamine Epidemic in the U.S.
A major study released by The Sentencing Project reveals that methamphetamine is actually one of the rarest illegal drugs used, with its use declining among youth, stabilizing among adults and demonstrating no increase in first-time users. “The Next Big Thing? Methamphetamine in the United States” documents the media coverage of meth that distorts national trends of the drug’s actual prevalence, growth, dangers and treatment. Read/download the report (45 page pdf file)
Read a newspaper article that questions some of the report findings. ++++++++++ Illicit Drug use by U.S. High School Students Declining
From the Center for Substance Abuse Research at the University of Maryland, a one-page report on the decline of illicit drug use by high school students. See June 12, 2006 issue ++++++++++ Prescription Drug Use Among Teens
While illicit drug use may be declining (see article above), the use of prescription drugs among teens is increasing. Drug counselors across the country are beginning to hear about pill-popping parties which are part of a rapidly developing underground culture that surrounds the rising abuse of prescription drugs by teens and young adults. Vicodin and OxyContin are now more popular among high school seniors than Ecstasy and cocaine. ++++++++++ Gang Violence Resurgence in Las Vegas
From January 1 to May 1, 2006 Las Vegas has seen 21 gang homicides, more than double the 10 homicides reported during the same period in 2005. Police and gang experts say that a steady migration of gang members from southern California and rising youth membership in gangs has spurred the violence. They say they are now seeing the valley’s gangs recruiting members as young as 14. ++++++++++ NCJJ Snapshot Series -- Downloadable at No Charge The National Center for Juvenile Justice is offering you the opportunity to download selected titles in their Snapshot series – single page synopses on selected issues or subject matter – at no charge to you. The link above will take you to ten free snapshots. ++++++++++ Domestic Violence and Firearms: A National Summit for Community Safety The purpose of this summit sponsored by the Office on Violence Against Women at the Department of Justice, NCJFCJ, and other organizations, is to offer the opportunity for communities and professionals to engage in dialogue, strengthen their knowledge on relevant laws on firearms and domestic violence, and develop and implement policies, protocols, and procedures that will enhance safety in our communities. Multi-disciplinary teams of 4-6 participants involved in developing community solutions to the problems specific to domestic violence and firearms will receive first consideration for this meeting which will take place September 25-27, 2006 in Los Angeles. Click on the link above for details.
Join Us! ! Membership in NCJFCJ offers judges and juvenile court professionals the opportunity to get information about innovations and ideas, issues and news in juvenile justice and family law. Members receive the Juvenile & Family Court Journal and TODAY Magazine quarterly, and the Juvenile & Family Law Digest every month. For a sample package of all three publications and information on how to become a member, send me your name and USPO mailing address and I'll send you an information packet . ++++++++++ To Subscribe, follow the instructions below: - click on my email address,
- provide your first and last name,
- your city and state, and
- insert "Subscribe" on the Subject line.
- If your Tech Department filters spam and/or bulk mailings, ask them to allow Brevity delivery.
To unsubscribe or make an address change, send an email message to the address above and tell me what you want to do.
Joey Binard, Senior Program Manager
Technical Assistance Resource Center
Juvenile & Family Law Department
NCJFCJ
Brevity is supported by Grant No.2005-JL-FX-0065 from the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice
|
Brevity Archive 
