Juvenile justice reform has bipartisan support... If we can move past presidential politics

Typically, our blog is apolitical. We don’t take sides except when it comes to what is best for young people in our society. Then we have an unwavering point of view. First, do no harm. Second, do good and do better. Advocate for change where change is needed.

We are not taking sides today—though we admit to looking forward to the end of this election cycle. 

Unlike the hot-button issues of tax, immigration and healthcare, juvenile justice reform has bipartisan support. 

So regardless of who wins in November, we hope our elected officials can get back to working on overhauling the juvenile justice system.  

A look behind the euphemisms that proliferate the system

Imagine that you are sitting in court with your teenage son or daughter. The judge orders your child to six months living in a "training school" to address the concerns of the court. What would you imagine that to be? Something like a military school or a boot camp? A cluster of cabins in the woods where kids do ropes courses and practice trust falls?

The truth is that most training schools are thinly veiled youth prisons. Commonly referred to as "secure placements," they are actually cinder-block buildings behind barbed-wire where children wear orange jumpsuits, rubber shoes and handcuffs. They live in cellblocks and behind bars, get limited contact with their families and are at high risk of sexual and physical abuse. There is an intentional glazing over of the horrors within these facilities, under-reporting of crimes against young people behind bars and a number of creative euphemisms aimed at shielding us from the truth. 

Organizers are asking you to take action 

The Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) is a national initiative dedicated to ending the prosecution, sentencing and incarceration of youth younger than 18 in the adult criminal justice system. 

CFYJ was started in 2004 by a distraught parent whose juvenile son was prosecuted in adult criminal court. The mother became determined to change policies that allow hundreds of thousands of youths to be tried in adult court every year. And she put her money where her heart was. Her actions led to the Campaign for Youth Justice officially opening in July 2005.

Your mother was right—Who you hang out with influences what you do

I remember when I was growing up, the youngest of 11 children, my mother would tell me not to hang out with "those kids," the wrong crowd, the ones who would get me in trouble. And of course, I would protest, "No, they won’t. They are my friends." Then, inevitably, they did. Nothing too major, just enough that I knew my friends had a big influence on me. 

It turns out that research shows my mother was right. When looking at the predictors of anti-social behavior, "negative peer association" is the most powerful one, making it a high-risk factor for the teens we work with in Multisystemic Therapy (MST).

Multisystemic Therapy helps Mum rebuild her relationship with son

For many years, Lara felt that she had no voice in her own home. Even though she was the mum, Lara was overwhelmed by her son Harry’s aggressive outbursts, using drugs and alcohol, and not going to school. Lara often felt she couldn't manage her 'unmanageable' child and had no choice but to call the police on Harry. This left her feeling ashamed, embarrassed and she couldn’t see her way out.

You got your degree... Now what?

After graduating from university, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. The only thing I was 100-percent certain about was that I wanted to work with children and families and make a real difference. After a few short-term jobs, a friend, who was a juvenile-probation officer, told me about a new program called Multisystemic Therapy (MST) that really seemed to be helping out kids, and they were hiring. The description seemed to match just what I was looking for, so I applied that day to be an MST therapist and never looked back. 

Amy King, left, and Sandy Crotts, right, at MST's 20 year anniversary 

One man tells the story of youth incarceration through photographs

How does a professor, researcher and architectural photographer end up depicting the cruelties of the juvenile-justice system with his photography? It seems an unlikely marriage of talents, but when Richard Ross was working on a project photographing the architecture at the El Paso Juvenile Detention Center, he noticed he was unintentionally capturing the young people there in his photos. With this discovery came an idea: What if he could put a human face on the young people who are locked up inside our nation’s detention centers?

Using Social Impact Bonds to fund evidence-based programs

Evidence-based programs (EBPs) that help troubled youth are usually funded through the government and philanthropy. But to increase the reach and impact of these practices, the funding base must be expanded.

Using a family’s strengths is critical to MST success

Some kids have a hard time fitting into the world around them. They have trouble in school. The police know them. They are disconnected from critical family relationships. And their friendships are fleeting, at best. Marissa came into the juvenile-justice system because she was truant from school, pregnant and "running the streets" every night. Her out-of-control behaviors put her at high risk for going into custody.

What kind of discipline is most effective in schools?

One of my favorite things about social media in August is seeing all the back-to-school photos from my friends and family. It seems like everyone is shopping, planning and gearing up for a successful school year. Amid all the shopping, I see memes about school discipline. Some clearly advocate for little to no tolerance of student misbehavior while others seek a softer approach.

One of my favorite back-to-school pictures from this year