Omaha, NE – Juliet Summers, Policy Coordinator for Child Welfare & Juvenile Justice at Voices for Children in Nebraska, and Christine Henningsen, Director of Nebraska Youth Advocates, and Scout Richters, legal and policy counsel at the ACLU of Nebraska, issued the following statements today regarding the news that the entire…...
The Cost of Juvenile Justice: A Case Scenario Study
The juvenile justice system works to protect public safety, hold youth appropriately accountable for their crimes, and empower youth to become productive, law-abiding citizens. Best practice in juvenile justice recognizes that incarceration is contrary to the best interests and well-being of youth and emphasizes the need for effective and appropriate…...
Statement on Proposed Douglas County Juvenile Justice Center
Children deserve the best we have to offer them, and investments aimed at improving our juvenile justice system to better meet their needs will reap dividends in the long run. Douglas County is considering a new children and family court structure and detention center. Our current juvenile court is too…...
New DHHS Business Plan Neglects Safety Concerns
This week, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released the agency’s business plan for 2018-2019. While we are pleased with several elements of the plan including working to improve maternal-child health and implement a system of care, Voices for Children is gravely concerned about the ongoing disregard…...
Priorities for Kids in the 105th Legislature, 2nd Session
The following pro-kid bills were prioritized and are now headed to the next stage of debate at the Unicameral: Child Welfare LB 714, introduced by Senator Howard, would provide a procedure for a teenager living independently to request a formal court order of emancipation. LB 1078, introduced by Senator Crawford,…...
