Better chances for Virginia's youth... to change, to learn, to heal
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Upcoming Events Hampton Roads Meetings
Thursday, February 18 Thursday, March 18 Thursday, April 22 6 - 7:30 pm Lafayette Branch Library 1610 Cromwell Drive Norfolk, VA Do you have questions about the justice system for youth? Do you want a better justice system for youth in Norfolk and the Hampton Roads area? Join us for discussion and action planning — and let us know what you want to talk about! Member Drive It's time for our annual membership drive! Please read our membership appeal letter and join us using the mail-in form or through our online donation page. If you have questions or comments, please contact us! | NewsVirginia General Assembly Considers Juvenile Justice BillsThe Virginia General Assembly session started January 13th, and will continue through March 13th. State senators and delegates have introduced a number of bills that could affect the juvenile justice system and youth involved in it. The action is fast and furious, with daily changes. Here are some ways to keep up with what's happening: The Mid-Atlantic Juvenile Defender Center blog reports on bills and other juvenile justice-related items. Using the category tags, you can also see MAJDC's advocacy positions on some bills. The Don't Throw Away the Key campaign web site has updates and action steps on bills relating to youth being transferred to the adult justice system. For the most up-to-the-minute bill status, see the General Assembly's Legislative Information Service site. It has just about anything you need to know about the General Assembly. You can also check the dockets (schedules) for the Senate Courts of Justice Committee and the House Courts of Justice Committee, where most juvenile justice bills are first considered. You can find out who your state senator and delegate are on the Virginia General Assembly's "Whose My Legislator?" page. Big Turnout for Crime Commission Meeting!
As expected, the Crime Commission members said they won't recommend any changes to the law until they get more information. After Department of Juvenile Justice Director Barry Green made a compelling case for some changes now, Delegate Dave Albo declared that there is "zero point zero percent chance" of any changes to Virginia's transfer laws coming through his committee in the House of Delegates next year. Don’t Charge Juveniles as Adults, Advocates Urge, Virginian Pilot, December 16, 2009. Va Crime Panel Extends Juvenile Justice Study, Associated Press, December 15, 2009. State Lawmakers Stuck on Juvenile Courts, NBC 29, December 15, 2009.Thanks again to everyone who worked on this effort! Natural Bridge Juvenile Correctional Center Closes This minimum security facility has closed, due to state budget cuts. Youth at the facility were moved to other, more secure facilities. For more information, go to our blog site. You can also post messages to a forum that one of our members has created so that people can keep in touch with the situation: http://naturalbridgeclosing.freeforums.org/index.php Rep. Bobby Scott, Dwayne Betts Speak to Overflow Crowd in Richmond
About 250 people attended R. Dwayne Betts' reading and book-signing event at the Library of Virginia the evening of August 12. Special guest Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) talked about ways to reduce youth crime by spending money on prevention and early intervention instead of on incarceration. He told how the Youth PROMISE Act will help communities to make these smart-on-crime choices. For more information, see Rep. Scott's web page on the Youth PROMISE Act.
Norfolk Community Youth Justice Jam Is A Huge Success Young people holding a "Don't Throw Away the Key" sign at the Community Youth Justice Jam in Norfolk. At right is poetry winner Richard Love. The prosecutor, Linda Bryant, said that their office is looking closely at how they transfer youth to the adult system, and will no longer use the threat of transfer as a way to get kids to plead guilty in juvenile court. Later this year, an expert on adolescent development will train the entire Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney's office. A very lively poetry competition followed the panel discussion, with young poets performing poetry with the theme of justice. The Virginian-Pilot reported on the event. Thanks to all who participated in the event! Crime Commission Update
The meeting featured a presentation on teen brain development by Vincent P. Culotta, Ph.D. He stressed the need for a separate justice system for youth, based on scientific findings. Meredith Farrar-Owens of the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission showed startling numbers on youth convicted in circuit court (adult court). From fiscal year 2001 to 2008, 4,591 young people were convicted as adults for acts they committed while they were under 18. In FY 2008, 697 were convicted. This did not include the number who were charged as adults and found not guilty or had their charges dismisssed. Finally, Crime Commission staff member Holly Boyle gave an update on the Commission's study of transferring youth to the adult criminal system. She noted that juvenile court judges, public defenders, circuit court judges and court services unit directors all overwhelmingly (73-80%) favor allowing juvenile court judges the sole discretion to transfer youth to the adult court. Not surprisingly, the Commonwealth's Attorneys did not agree, since this change would mean that they would lose the sole discretion to transfer for certain offenses Several media outlets covered the event. Here are links to the coverage. State Reviews Number of Juveniles Convicted as Adults - WVIR -TV We Stood Up For Youth and Families! Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and about three dozen family members, concerned community members, and other advocates attended an evening public hearing held by the Virginia Board of Juvenile Justice. Eleven people took the opportunity to speak to the Board members and DJJ staff who were present. We asked the Board to adopt regulations that will help families support their children so that they have a fair chance to grow into responsible adults. Here's a one-page summary of what we asked for. Or read the5-page full version of our request. A lot of people don't believe families or communities care when our children are locked up. We showed that we do care! Thanks to everyone who attended, and especially to those who spoke out. Families & Allies Executive Director Awarded Soros Justice Fellowship The Open Society Institute awarded a Soros Justice Fellowship to Liane Rozzell, Executive Director of Families & Allies of Virginia's Youth. She is one of 17 fellows who received the awards. The 18-month fellowship will enable her to focus on building Families & Allies into a sustainable and effective force for reforming Virginia's juvenile justice system. Read the full news release for more about the fellowships, or go here to read about Liane and her Soros Justice Fellowship project. [Photo © Open Society Institute.] Families & Allies Founder on the RadioLiane Rozzell, Executive Director of Families & Allies of Virginia's Youth, was a guest on "Charlottesville—Right Now! with Coy Barefoot." Listen to the podcast here. |






