The Proportion of Girls Arrested for Drug Crimes Is Higher Than Males

There has been some good news and statistics in the juvenile-justice world recently. One is that juvenile-drug arrests fell to about 52% since 2010. However, examining this data more closely finds something disturbing: girls now account for a larger percentage of drug charges, ranging from simple possession to manufacturing and sales, than their male counterparts. Also worrisome is, writes Jeffrey A. Butts of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in a recent brief, “the growing proportion of females among juvenile drug arrests was seen among arrests for drug manufacturing and sales as well as arrests for simple drug possession.”

Giving a mother hope using MST principle four 

Ms. Mitchell always answered the door in pajamas with a cup of half drunk tea in her hand. She would usher me into her living room and approximately 10 minutes into every session would chide herself for forgetting to offer me a cup. We sat in our respective chairs—me facing the window and she keeping a diligent eye on the clock above my head to remind her of the day’s approaching work shift. These were the things that never changed throughout treatment. We cherished our routines, greetings and small familiarities to counter the challenge of raising a young person with persistent challenging behaviors that led to his involvement in the child-welfare system.

Want to change the world but need the funding? This contest could be your answer

The MacArthur Foundation has given away $5.5 billion since it was set up in 1978—and it still has a $6.5 billion endowment.

President and CEO, Keller Strother, reflects on the past two decades

In 20 years, we’ve accomplished a lot—200,000 families worldwide have been helped by MST. That’s an incredible feat  We have spread MST to 34 states and 15 countries.  Are we proud of what we have accomplished?  Yes, without question. Is there a lot more to do?  You bet.

The MST Services team in Chicago in June 2016

A young, upper-middle class, white male commits several crimes and wonders what would have happened had he been a young, poor, male of color

We’ve been reporting a lot on the disparities in the juvenile-justice system. We talk about the consequences of the school-to-prison pipeline, where brown and black kids are treated so much harsher than their white counterparts. It’s not often we get a glimpse into the system from the point of view of a white, advantaged male. Most often, it’s the disenfranchised who speak out about their stories. However, this anonymous young man has chosen to share his brush with the justice system and why he’ll be the first to believe that it was the color of his skin, not his innocence or guilt, that provided him with a “get-out-of-jail-free” card.

Georgia juvenile court judge raises graduation rates and reduces crime

Why does it benefit a juvenile-court judge to reduce detention if it isn't costing him anything? Well, in the words of Chief Judge Steven Teske, it’s because it’s the right thing to do.

And reduce detention he did.

An MST supervisor reflects on the importance of fatherhood

I grew up in a time when fathers in my Hispanic culture were expected to be strong disciplinarians and primarily focus on providing financially for the family. My wife and I have been blessed with two gorgeous and conscientious daughters. When my first daughter was born, I knew I did not want to contribute to the cultural stereotypes of what a father should be and do.

“For years, we had to defend our crazy.” These are the words Susan used to describe the situation with her son, Benjamin. 

For confidentiality, all names have been changed.

By the time Benjamin was 12, his family had nearly reached the end of their rope. With seven members of a blended family living under the same roof, things were understandably chaotic at times. They were only made more strained by Benjamin’s frequent angry outbursts and out-of-control rage.

How one judge is making a difference in the lives of the youth and community he serves

In 1899, the first-ever juvenile court was established in Cook County, Illinois. Within 25 years, almost all states had a juvenile-court system setup. Their primary goal was to rehabilitate, not punish, young people who committed delinquent acts. Thus, from its very inception, the juvenile-justice system was intended for prevention and rehabilitation.

There are a few key differences between the juvenile-court and the adult criminal-court system. Of major significance, juveniles are not entitled to a trial by jury. 

Magistrate Charles Levesque, center

Powerful video testimony of an MST mother

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, then a video is worth a million. At least, this video is. A strong and courageous mom shared her journey with Multisystemic Therapy (MST) at the Blueprints Conference in Colorado.