New MacArthur Action Network to Address Legal Representation for Indigent Juveniles
On April 4th, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced the creation of a new national action network to help ensure young people receive the legal protections to which they are constitutionally entitled by improving the juvenile indigent defense system. The Foundation is inviting states, local jurisdictions, or organizations interested in joining to apply to become members of the new Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network. The new network will be coordinated by the National Juvenile Defender Center. For more information about applying for the JIDAN, contact Rey Banks at rbanks@njdc.info or 202.452.0010 ext. 107. Applications are due by June 6, 2008. For a copy of the full press release and application, visit
New Report on Reform Efforts in New York
A recent report, written by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids New York entitled “Getting Juvenile Justice Right in New York: Proven Interventions Will Cut Crime and Save Money”, discusses reform efforts in New York State that seek to decrease the rates of re- offending among juveniles. To obtain a copy of the report, visit
New Certificate Programs at the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform Announced
The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University Public Policy Institute is launching two revolutionary Certificate Programs designed to advance multi-systems work to improve outcomes for youth involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. The programs are designed to provide intensive study for leaders responsible for policy development and implementation in their jurisdictions in order to enhance systems integration and build a strong cadre of public agency leaders supportive of juvenile justice reform and better results for youth. For a copy of the Request for Applications, visit:
Journal Article Addresses Issues of Barriers to Mental Health Services for Detained Youth
In the article “Perceived Barriers to Mental Health Services Among Youth in Detention,” by Karen M. Abram, Ph.D., et al., which can be found in the March 2008 Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (47:3), the authors intensively examine the perceived obstacles to mental health services by juvenile detainees. The study showed that most youth in the justice system feel that mental health services are unimportant to them and that they are not easily accessible. The journal article’s abstract can be obtained at
Journal Article on Suicidal Ideation Among Youth in Juvenile Detention
A recent journal article “Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors Among Youths in Juvenile Detention” by Karen M. Abram Ph.D., et al., published in the March 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (47:3) , examines suicidal ideations, suicide attempts, and the lethality of these attempts, as well as the relationship between psychiatric disorder and recent suicide attempts by newly detained juveniles. Using results from the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) it was determined that approximately 1 in 10 juvenile detainees had thought about committing suicide in the past 6 months and recent suicide attempts were more prevalent in females and youths with major depression and generalized anxiety disorder.
Results from a MAYSI-2 National Meta-Analysis Study
“Sex and Race Differences in Mental Health Symptoms in Juvenile Justice: The MAYSI-2 National Meta-Analysis” by Gina M. Vincent, Ph.D., Thomas Grisso, Ph.D., Anna Terry, B.A., and Steven Banks, Ph.D., which is featured in the March issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (47:3), addresses the fact that many studies have suggested there is a higher prevalence of mental health issues among girls and Caucasians in comparison to boys and other races. Using data that included scores on the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument (MAYSI-2) for 70,423 youths from various juvenile justice programs, the authors’ findings examined whether sex and race differences were consistent in juvenile justice programs across the U.S. A copy of the abstract is available at
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