The God of Second Chances

The God of Second Chances This article by Francine Lange, published in the Winter 2004 edition of the American Bible Society's magazine The Record, profiles BronxConnect , a faith and community based alternative-to-incarceration program for Bronx court involved youth. BronxConnect is one of several programs operated by grassroots faith and community-based organization that serve as the inspiration for Community Connections.

Cover Story: How Can You Distinguish a Budding Pedophile From a Kid With Real Boundary Problems?

This cover story from the New York Times Magazine (7/22/07) discusses the problem of treating juvenile sex offenders as adults. Many juveniles accused of sex offenses are being tried as adults, added to sex offender registries, and mandated to sex offender treatment programs developed for use with the adult population. Researchers, however, are questioning whether juveniles who engage in sexual behavior with younger children are actually future pedophiles, or simply engaging in inappropriate sexual experimentation. Can you tell the difference? "It can be difficult," reads the tagline, "but research is showing that when it comes to sex crimes, youths are not just little adults. So why does the law tend to treat them that way?" I believe this is indicative of a common pattern in U.S. juvenile justice policy over the last several decades: a) A serious issue involving juveniles comes to light (gang involvement, sexual misconduct); b) Media coverage ignites public fear and alarm over the issues; c) Politicians move swiftly, and often hastily, to create laws to respond; d) A juvenile or criminal justice response to the problem is developed with the worst case offender in mind, but is written in such a way that it draws in far too many youth only present a marginal risk to society. Read the full text of the article here.

Towards a Movement: Uniting Organizers and Direct Service Providers in a Movement for Juvenile Justice Reform

Ruben Austria's article, first published in the Spring 2006 edition of the journal Afterschool Matters, explores critical incidents in the New York City movement for juvenile justice reform and reflects on how the principles of youth organizing can help bridge the gap between the goals of social justice and individual youth development.To read the full text of the article, click here: Toward a Movement: Uniting Organizers and Direct Service Providers in a Movement for Juvenile Justice Reform