This Justice Policy Center report, subtitled "National and State Findings on the Efficacy and Cost Savings of Drug Abuse Treatment vs. Imprisonment," looks at efforts to reform Maryland's justice system and data demonstrating that community-based treatment and prevention programs are more effective in getting offenders back on track, protecting public safety, and saving public dollars than putting addicts and nonviolent people in prison where they get no treatment.

MediaRights' fourth annual Media That Matters Film Festival honors 16 jury-selected film and video shorts, digital stories and streaming online media. Among those honored this year is "Books Not Bars," a mini-documentary on the youth-led movement pushing for community-based juvenile justice facilities that focus on education, not isolation, and fighting against the growth of the U.S. prison industry. Watch this and other films online, or order a DVD.

Numerous research studies point to the success that certain types of treatment and services can have on youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The National Mental Health Association offers a review.

For many kids, the transition to adulthood is tumultuous. For others, it's downright dangerous - teens in the foster care and juvenile justice systems, teens with children, and those who don't finish high school. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual "Kids Count" data book looks how these kids are faring.

The New Mexico resort town of Taos isn't known for its elevated rates of child poverty and teen homelessness. But those harsh realities have spurred a team of seven local women to create a special place where at least some homeless teens can get the help they need to become successful young adults. Denise M. Spranger reports.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has added new topics -- juvenile justice system structure and process, juveniles on probation, and juvenile reentry and aftercare -- to its "Statistical Briefing Book."

Neither seen nor heard—that seems to be the general rule for incarcerated youth. What are they thinking, feeling, and living inside their locked-down world? Connect for Kids offers a glimpse of the talent and fierce energy, courtesy of The Beat Within.

Javier Stauring, a lay chaplain with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is working to draw attention to teens serving time in the L.A. Men�s Central Jail�and to the broader problem of youngsters incarcerated in adult prisons. Stauring, who was recently honored by Human Rights Watch for his work, speaks with Connect for Kids� Rob Capriccioso.

When the boundless optimism of a dog encounters the wary affection of a young man in a juvenile detention center, what happens? Nancy Hill reports on Project Pooch, an Oregon program that pairs young offenders with hard-to-place strays, to the benefit of both.

In this story adapted from the Spring 2003 issue of AdvoCasey, David Hill reports on how hip-hop teens and other young people took to the streets and—after two years—finally won their battle to derail plans for a new juvenile “super jail” in California.