The Beginning

It is the beginning of my very first meeting with the Lowe family, and as we sit on their front porch during a hot summer day, Mr. Lowe plops 200 pages of copied material on my lap. Intrigued, I ask what it is. He lets out a sigh and tells me this is the paperwork from all the intensive behavioral treatments his grandson, Tim, has gone through the past 8 years since being in their care. 

Juvenile probation is a form of sentencing that allows young offenders to remain in their communities while under the supervision of the court. During the probationary period, a juvenile may be required to follow certain terms or conditions.

What is a Status Offense?

Violating curfew, running away from home, or skipping school may not be good choices, but are they actions that should land a minor in the justice system? 

It’s hard to imagine that in a country like America there are children who suffer from the stress of not having enough to eat, a place to rest their heads at night, or how they will get to school. Even with all the programs developed by the federal government, poverty still takes a toll on a child’s quality of life. 

Recurrence of child abuse happens to young children, but there is a higher risk for recurring abuse and neglect for those children if they have special needs.

An estimated 3 of every 4 victims of sex trafficking are girls or women. In the case of young female victims, they often share similar characteristics: they are homeless or runaways, victims of previous abuse, and often involved in the juvenile justice system.

Summer is ending, and school is back in session. Cue the advertisements of back-to-school sales on supplies and clothes, “Meet the Teacher” nights, and those timeless first day of school pictures. As many children and families are filling their new backpacks with loads of supplies for their first day, many families do not have the means to even send their children to school with new pencils.

How MST Came to Connecticut 

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the state of Connecticut was grappling with a challenge that is quite familiar for state officials: many of their youth programs were not effective. In 2004, a report found that Connecticut’s services provided were often making youth worse off than they were prior to treatment. As a result, the Court Support Services Division (CSSD) began investigating alternative programs.

This year's MST Advanced Supervisors Workshop is just around the corner! The 2-day training event will take place in Charleston, South Carolina on September 20-21. Read on to see why you don't want to miss it, and if you haven't yet registered, you can do so here. 

Although juvenile arrest rates nationwide are on the decline, that fact can be deceiving: in many communities, violent offenses are on the rise.