In late September, Torri was driving down the highway with her 11-year-old son Junior in the back seat when her phone started ringing. It was the Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy who worked at Junior’s middle school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Deputy Arthur Richardson asked Torri where she was. She told him she was on the way to a family birthday dinner at LongHorn Steakhouse. “He said, ‘Is Junior with you?’” Torri recalled. Earlier that day, Junior had been accused by other studen...| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
TUCSON, Arizona — Adriana Grijalva was getting ready to head to class at the University of Arizona in the fall of 2022 when she got a text message from her cousin telling her to stay put. The cousin, who works in maintenance at the university, had watched law enforcement descend on campus and reached out to make sure she was safe. A former student had just shot a professor 11 times, killing him. The post A campus shooting spurred her political awakening. Her whole family followed. appeared ...| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
Equal Justice USA (EJUSA) announced October 8 that it will partner with four new communities to build new restorative youth justice diversion programs. Restorative justice includes an accountability process that identifies root causes of youth criminal actions, while providing an opportunity for healing both for the person harmed and the person who has caused harm. The post Justice organization announces new youth restorative justice partners appeared first on Juvenile Justice Information Exc...| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
Louisiana is the only state to pass and then reverse Raise the Age legislation. Louisiana’s criminal justice system now treats all 17-year-olds as adults. Is reversing Raise the Age making a difference in the number of violent crimes by 18-year-olds? The post A Louisiana law meant to fight teen violence is sweeping 17-year-olds arrested for lesser crimes into adult court appeared first on Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
Proponents say hiring 18 year-olds is a win-win: Recent graduates fill a critical staffing need and jump-start their career right out of high school. Critics say teenagers lack the emotional maturity needed to work with inmates. Who is correct? The post Texas prisons and jails are recruiting more teenagers to shore up guard shortage appeared first on Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
Nikolas Cruz was the rare mass killer in America to have his fate decided at trial; many die during the shooting. Cruz’s defense team said they dug into his troubled life and convinced a jury to spare him the death penalty. The post 5 things to know about how the Parkland shooter’s life was spared appeared first on Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
Gun violence in schools is on the forefront of Georgians’ minds following the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga. on Sept. 4. This story has an interactive map showing the 20 locations of university and public school violence in Georgia over the past 5 years, with school names, type of violent incident, and number of victims. The post School violence: Mapping incidents in Georgia appeared first on Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
Since 2020 juveniles were defended by court-appointed lawyers who lacked state-mandated qualifications. How will juveniles get the qualified legal defense they deserve? The post Not ‘Mini-Adult Court’: Lawyers lacking qualifications defended 1,200 Cuyahoga County kids appeared first on Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
On Tuesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that the state will try to shut down its three large youth correctional facilities in favor of building smaller and less centralized units. The decision came at the urging of a working group assembled by the governor that also recommended the state stop incarcerating teenagers convicted for the first time of non-violent crimes and children under 14 in state youth prisons. The post The seemingly endless cycle of reforms in juvenile justice appeared f...| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
Just months after an unprecedented parental conviction in Michigan, Georgia prosecutors allege a father’s actions led to a mass school shooting. Colin Gray never pulled a trigger at Apalachee High School — where a mass shooting this week left two 14-year-old students and two math teachers dead — but he could still spend the rest of his life behind bars for murder. The post A gunman kills at school and prosecutors again focus on the suspect’s parent appeared first on Juvenile Justice...| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
Juvenile Justice News for People Who Care About Children and the Law| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
Juvenile Justice News for People Who Care About Children and the Law| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange
It took four years and a jury trial for Amara Harris to beat the ticket that accused her of stealing another girl’s AirPods. Now she’s heading back to court in the hope of stopping schools from using police to discipline students. Illinois law bans schools from fining students. But police routinely issue tickets to children for minor misbehavior at school, burdening families with financial penalties.| Juvenile Justice Information Exchange