Jamaica’s Justice Minister Delroy Chuck has found alternative ways to fight crime by using restorative justice practices, according the Jamaica Observer. “Getting wrongdoers to accept responsibility is the essence of restorative justice, which is why I am so committed to having restorative justice spread in every nook and cranny…every schoolroom, every church and every inner-city community across Jamaica,” Chuck said. Chuck’s initiative will focus on youth violence, urban street gangs and social media, according to the article. Training … [Read more...] about Jamaica uses Restorative Justice to fight crime
Juvenile Justice
The Affects of PTSD on Juvenile Inmates {Part 2}
This is the second installment of a two-part series detailing the impact of trauma on incarcerated men’s likelihood of success at the parole board. By John Lam Journalism Guild Writer I had been at a maximum-security prison for only three weeks when I saw a stabbing for the first time. I was in my cell when I heard an alarm sounding. I looked out my window and saw two guys wrestling on the ground, stabbing each other; blood was everywhere. I remember my cellmate nonchalantly going to the door, taking a peek and saying, “Oh there’s … [Read more...] about The Affects of PTSD on Juvenile Inmates {Part 2}
The Effects of PTSD on Juvenile Inmates Part 1
By John Lam Journalism Guild Writer This is the first installment of a two-part series detailing the impact of trauma on incarcerated men’s likelihood of success at the parole board. In the many group discussions held each day in San Quentin, it is not uncommon to hear men raise their hands and say, “I don’t know how to connect with myself.” I felt this way, too, for many years. I thought I was alone in that feeling, but I wasn’t. I realized many incarcerated people were disconnected from their emotions, due in part to a lack of … [Read more...] about The Effects of PTSD on Juvenile Inmates Part 1
Juvenile Interrogation Techniques Can Result in False Confessions
Children are now being exposed to a controversial interrogation technique by adults that can lead to false confessions the American Bar Association (ABA) reports. The ABA newsletter urges parents and teachers to fight the use of the Reid Technique in their schools. It encourages parents to demand that they be notified before a principal plans to interrogate their child. John E. Reid & Associates, the developers of the Reid Technique, “appears to be expanding the use of its technique on kids. In addition to training police … [Read more...] about Juvenile Interrogation Techniques Can Result in False Confessions
Juvenile Lifers Unprepared for Board Hearings
While some youthful offenders are finding new hope in getting out of prison, more are not found suitable for release or are unprepared for their board hearing. Last year, legislation passed to allow inmates whose crimes were committed as minors to appear before the parole board after serving at least 15 years of their sentence. From Jan. 1, 2014 through May 31, the board held 664 youth offender hearings, resulting in 189 grants, 410 denials, 63 stipulations to unsuitability, and two split votes that required referral to the full Board for … [Read more...] about Juvenile Lifers Unprepared for Board Hearings
The ‘Hidden Victims’
Children with incarcerated mothers are often referred to as “hidden victims,” and are among the most at-risk population in the United States, a study reports. “Children with incarcerated mothers are at heightened risk for attachment disturbance, leading to depression, anxiety, and other trauma-related stress,” stated a report published by the Columbia Social Work Review. The report found that the number of incarcerated women who have children has increased by 87 percent since 1990, with Black and Hispanic women representing the majority … [Read more...] about The ‘Hidden Victims’
Capturing the Stories of 1,000 Jailed Juveniles
An unassuming “gentle giant,” Richard Ross is a photojournalist who spent five years traveling 30 states to interview more than 1,000 incarcerated youths in the U. S. He captured pictures and stories that he has published in a book called “Juvenile In Justice.” “At the outset of this project I wanted to give a voice to those with the least amount of authority in any U.S confinement system…These are stories of young lives reduced to a paragraph of information. What they have in common is poverty, violence and a diminished view of the … [Read more...] about Capturing the Stories of 1,000 Jailed Juveniles
Senate Pushes Bill 124 to Reduce Juvenile Solitary Confinement
Legislation that limits the use of solitary confinement at state and county juvenile correctional facilities was passed by the California Senate. It is now before the State Assembly. Senate Bill 124, authored by Sen. Mark Leno, creates statewide standards that encourage the use of less damaging and more effective disciplinary actions. The bill is similar to a settlement recently reached between Contra Costa County and disability rights advocates following allegations of solitary confinement abuses of special needs youth in that county’s … [Read more...] about Senate Pushes Bill 124 to Reduce Juvenile Solitary Confinement
Senators Aim to Revive Shrunken Juvenile Justice Funds
In the course of a decade, federal funding for juvenile justice declined to about half of what was appropriated when Congress last reauthorized the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) in 2002. To date, federal spending is about $251 million. This is down from the $547 million appropriated at the 2002 reauthorization of the JJDPA. Advocates for juvenile justice call for more funding. Senators Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island., are expected to introduce a bipartisan measure in the near … [Read more...] about Senators Aim to Revive Shrunken Juvenile Justice Funds
Sentencing a 13-Year-Old to Life in Prison
Nationwide, more than 2,200 juveniles under the age of 18 are serving life sentences—dozens were 13-14 at the time of their offense, according to a report by Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a nonprofit legal-assistance organization founded by Bryan Stevenson. Michael “Little B” Lewis, at age 13, was labeled a super predator by a sociologist and called a cold-blooded thug by prosecutors, WSB-TV Atlanta reported. According to WSB-TV, Lewis walked up to a parked car at an Atlanta convenience store in 1997 and shot Darrell Woods, a stranger, … [Read more...] about Sentencing a 13-Year-Old to Life in Prison