Click on the image above for an excellent, well-done video on Juvenile Justice in Wyoming, featuring former juvenile delinquent and U.S. senator, Alan Simpson.

Juvenile Justice Reform News

• Amazing resource from the W. Haywood Burns Institute - an interactive map giving state-by-state information on disproportionate minority contact, state statutes governing detention, and more.  In a related story, I found the alarming statistic that nationally, black youth are five times more likely to enter the juvenile justice system than white youth.
• Be sure to request a copy of the second edition of the MacArthur Foundation's Juvenile Court Training Curriculum, put out by the National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC) in partnership with the Juvenile Law Center. "Intended for juvenile court judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and probation staff, the curriculum provides in-depth training materials on the most up-to-date adolescent development research and its application to juvenile court practice." (Hat tip to the Coalition for Juvenile Justice newsletter.)
• An excellent, much-needed guide for helping families advocate for juvenile justice reform: Families in Power: Family Guide to Networking, Coalition Building, Organizing and Campaign Planning. From our friends at the Campaign for Youth Justice.
• Big hand for my home town, Denver, which joined the Reclaiming Futures family recently. The team will be working on integrating Reclaiming Futures into its existing juvenile drug court.

Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment  Research & Related Resources

• Researchers recently performed a national survey of the directors of 141 juvenile institutional and community corrections facilities on substance abuse treatment for juvenile offenders in their facilities. Sadly they found that services were concentrated at the deep end of the system, rather than at earlier stages, where they can do the most good.
• Ten Important Questions to Ask a Treatment Program from Drug Strategies' publication, Treating Teens.
• NPR did a great primer on adolescent development in its story, "The Teen Brain: It's Just Not Grown Up Yet." (Hat tip to Karen Carpenter at Reclaiming Futures Rowan County.)
• Here's a fantastic, edited resource on alcohol and drug treatment findings. (Hat tip to @artoflifeitself.)
• How to create juvenile delinquents at home - from Psychology Today. (Hat tip to @portprevent.)

Webinars

• March 9, 2010 - Free NIATX ACTION Campaign II webinar on "Maximizing Staff Productivity" at 12 pm EST / 9 am PST. Follow the link or dial-in for audio at 1-866-642-1665, pass code 821938. Be punctual: space is limited! 

• March 10, 2010 - Applying for one of those BJA grants designed to foster collaboration between mental health and justice agencies? The Council of State Governments (CSG) is hosting a webinar for applicants. Have to miss it? Recordings will be posted at a later date. Questions about the webinar or the webinar series should be addressed to CSG Justice Center Project Associate Elizabeth Meyer at emeyer@csg.org or (646) 383-5718.

Addiction Treatment News - Extra

• Words that don't exist in Ohio: "prehab".