Good morning. Only 10 more shopping days ‘til Christmas!
On the juvenile justice front:
DC is considering a bill that would bar prosecutors from using statements made by children under 18 unless an attorney waives their right to be silent and that would effectively bar the ability of a person under 18 to give consent to a search.
Over the past 15 years, the annual number of children charged as adults has dropped from 250,000 to around 50,000, according to NPR.
And back to Ethan Crumbley. Despite the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act’s bar on detaining children within sight or sound of adults, and despite Michigan law limiting to 30 days the use of any adult lockup to house a juvenile, a judge has decided Ethan should remain in an adult jail. So much for “progressive” prosecution. Thoughts?
Domestic child welfare issues:
Here’s a heart-warming story about the work of the Adoption Clinic at the Mississippi College School of Law, which yesterday helped dozens of children get their forever families. If you went to school there, give yourself a pat on the back!
There’s a crisis in Idaho’s child protection system. The situation reflects some national trends, including difficulty recruiting and retaining foster parents and case managers.
Ohio is using a new “mapping” tool to find families for children.
Learn about the work of North Carolina’s Children’s Home Society.
International issues:
In the UK, the mental health crisis caused by the pandemic is leading to more children and youth running away.
The US government is (rightly) concerned about addressing the needs of the surge of migrant children crossing the border.
Here’s a interesting follow-up to the conversation in the UK about how to handle child abuse deaths.
A lack of focused interagency collaboration is hurting child sexual abuse victims in Israel. This public panel wants change.
Here’s the perfect job for someone!
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