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John Roe, Illinois State Attorney for Ogle County, has brought a new twist to his job. He’s gathered a team of legal and social work professional and, with funding from the MacArthur Foundation of Chicago, started a new program aimed at keeping juvenile offenders out of jail.

Every juvenile case police report is assessed promptly by mental health and counseling specialists. And if, for example, diversion from the court system is seen as the best course in a vandalism case, the ideal first step in the diversion process is victim-offender counseling. [Source: The Times (Ottawa, Illinois)]

And the end of the counseling session, a mediator helps determine an appropriate punishment – which is agreed upon by both the offender and the victim. In a vandalism case, the offender might have to fix what was broken, or pay to have it fixed. In the past two year, seventy percent of all minor-related cases in the county have been placed on this alternative track, keeping numerous kids out of jail and giving them a chance to turn over a new leaf.

Labels: prevention program, jail

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment

The most recent publication of the journal Addiction included a study which found a connection between a father spending time in jail and his children being at increased risk for

.

This new study examined the association between having an incarcerated biological father and marijuana and other illegal drug use.

Over 51% of young men, and almost 40% of young women, whose biological fathers had a history of incarceration reported using marijuana, compared to 38% and 28%, respectively, of comparable men and women whose fathers were never incarcerated…

Biological father’s incarceration was also found to be associated with elevated use of other illegal drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. - Source: Science Blogs

Though the association is clear, the cause-and-effect relationship – if there is one – is not so clear. It’s possible parent incarceration is another symptom of the problem, but not the actual cause. It can, however, help caregivers, teachers and medical professionals be more alert when interacting with these kids.

Labels: parents, fathers, jail

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments