Press Release
February 7, 2007: New Poll Shows Public Strongly Favors Giving Teens A Chance To Succeed
Conducted by Zogby International and commissioned by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD), the oldest criminal justice research organization in the
- 9-out-of-10 people polled believe that rehabilitation and treatment for incarcerated youth can help prevent future crime;
- 8-out-of-10 thought spending money on rehabilitative services and treatment for youth will save money in the long run;
- 7-out-of-10 of those polled felt that putting young people (under age 18) in an adult correctional facility will make them more likely to commit future crime; and
- 2-out-of-3 people polled find it unacceptable that a minor crime should negatively impact future opportunities for education and employment.
The survey findings on public views are consistent with research commissioned by the U.S. Justice Department that showed that sending young people to prison actually increases crime and recidivism.
“We need laws that make sense and that protect the public,” said Representative Alice Bordsen (D-District 63). “These polling results suggest that
Young people tried and sentenced in the adult court will receive an adult record, and can lose access to student financial aid and their right to vote. The poll showed that 66% of those surveyed said it was “unacceptable” that a criminal conviction should negatively affect their future opportunities for jobs and education.
Currently in
“Teens are developmentally immature,” noted Judge Fred Morrison, a member of the Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission and Chair of the Youth Study Subcommittee. “This immaturity can play out in tangible ways with youthful offenders by impairing their perception of risk, skewing their time perspective, increasing susceptibility to peer pressure and reducing behavioral control. All of this can have a direct bearing on the criminal culpability of youth.”
In December 2006, the Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission recommended treating 16- and 17-year-olds with services through the juvenile justice system instead of automatically referring them to the adult system.
The survey was conducted in January 2007 using a national sample of likely voters and utilizing methodology approved by the American Association for Public Opinion Research. Likely voters were polled on their views on whether prosecuting youth in adult court and placing youth in adult jails and prisons were effective ways to deter crime, and on their views on other public safety approaches. The poll comes as a number of states, including
Action for Children
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February 2, 2007: Action for Children Receives Grant To Promote Civic Engagment in Child Advocacy
RALEIGH—Action for Children North Carolina, a statewide nonprofit focusing on improving the lives of children, has received a $15,000 contribution from the Joseph H. and Florence A. Roblee Foundation based in St. Louis, Mo., toward community engagement and mobilization work.
“Since early 2006, Action for Children has worked diligently to mobilize and engage disenfranchised populations as child advocates in three eastern
Action for Children will continue to build the capacity of youth, families and organizations within communities in Halifax, Warren and Northampton counties to
“Child well-being data in
Other purposes of the ongoing work will be to build momentum among communities to effectively engage in public policy at all levels of government
; to encourage more people of color to run for elected office;
and to increase the level of engagement and action in child advocacy by people of color and those most disenfranchised from local, county and state government.
For more than 20 years, Action for Children North Carolina has led the way in securing opportunities for all of
The vision of Action for Children is that our state will be the best place to be a child and raise a child.
The mission of Action for Children is to advocate for child well-being by educating and engaging all people across the state to ensure that our children are healthy, safe, well-educated and have every opportunity for success.
For more information about the community outreach and engagement, please contact Brandy Bynum at 919-834-6623 x 234 or brandy@ncchild.org.
Action for Children
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February 2, 2007: Action for Children Recieves Grant For Youth Advocacy Toolkit
RALEIGH—Action for Children North Carolina, a statewide nonprofit focusing on improving the lives of children, has received a $5,000 contribution from the N.C. Civic Education Consortium and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation toward the creation of a Youth Advocacy Toolkit. Through involvement in this project, a portion of
“We all know the importance of providing today’s youth with the skills necessary to be productive, contributing members of society,” said Barbara Bradley, President and CEO of Action for Children. “Unquestionably, with the right preparation, our youth will become dependable citizens, employees, parents and leaders of their communities.”
Action for Children is proud to include the North Carolina State University College of Education and 70 of their students who are participating in a unique program called “Students Advocating for Youth (SAY)” as recipients of the first-ever Youth Advocacy Toolkit. These students live and learn together in
Housed in Lee Residence Hall on the NCSU campus, the program is committed to providing future activists and educators with the resources, skills and support to become successful youth advocates and critical thinkers. Students benefit from faculty advisors, resident mentors, field trips and interaction with underrepresented students both in and out of educational settings.
These NCSU College of Education students have an interest in contributing to the community, the university and the lives of youth. University officials have requested that Action for Children provide data, research, advocacy skills training and educational materials to students enrolled in the SAY Program. As a result, with the N.C. Civic Education Consortium grant, Action for Children will produce and distribute this toolkit, free-of-charge, to all NCSU SAY participants.
The Youth Advocacy Toolkit will include information on federal advocacy and the legislative process in
Copies of the Youth Advocacy Toolkit will also be disseminated to any young person with an interest in community outreach. The toolkit will be made available for downloading on Action for Children’s website, mailed to each of the 385 secondary schools in
Beginning in 1998, the Civic Education Consortium has received support annually from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation to distribute grants ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for innovative, collaborative civic education projects that develop effective citizenship among
The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation was established in 1936 as a memorial to the youngest son of the founder of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The Foundation currently gives special attention to several focus areas: community-building and economic development; the environment; governance, public policy and civic engagement; pre-collegiate education; and social justice and equity. The Foundation is headquartered in
For more than 20 years, Action for Children North Carolina has led the way in securing opportunities for all of
For more information about the NCSU SAY initiative or Youth Advocacy Toolkit, please contact Brandy Bynum, Community Outreach and Public Policy Advocate, at 919-834-6623 x 234 or brandy@ncchild.org.
Action for Children
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January 24, 2007: Two Executives Appointed to Action for Children's Board of Directors
RALEIGH— ACTION FOR CHILDREN NORTH CAROLINA announces the appointment of two individuals—Stafford L. Thomspon, Jr., Vice President and Corporate Actuary at North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, and Gregory Richardson, Executive Director of the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs—to its Board of Directors.
“We are truly excited about these gentlemen joining our
At North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance
Prior to joining North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance
He graduated summa cum laude from
“The magnitude of work undertaken by Action for Children right now is quite impressive,” said Thompson. “I very much look forward to being involved.”
Appointed Executive Director of the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs in 1995 by the N.C. Commission of Indian Affairs. Gregory Richardson is responsible for the overall administration and oversight of all commission programs and operations.
He serves on the N.C. Institute of Medicine and the state Personnel Commission, at the pleasure of Governor Michael F. Easley, and serves on the Board of Directors of United Tribes of North Carolina. He is the Regional Representative for the Governor's Interstate Indian Council (GIIC), a national association of state level Indian commissions and represents the Governor of North Carolina at the GIIC’s National Convention.
Mr. Richardson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business management and an Associate in Applied Science degree in business management. He is a certified Public Housing Manager and holds a Public Managers’ Certificate from the State of
“I am thrilled to serve on Action for Children’s Board,” said
For more than 20 years, Action for Children has led the way in securing opportunities for all of
The vision of Action for Children is that our state will be the best place to be a child and raise a child.
The mission of Action for Children is to advocate for child well-being by educating and engaging all people across the state to ensure that our children are healthy, safe, well-educated and have every opportunity for success.
Action for Children
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July 7, 2005: CPS Data Card
RALEIGH, NC ---THE NORTH CAROLINA CHILD ADVOCACY INSTITUTE (NCCAI) released the Child Protective Services (CPS) Card for the data years 2002-2003 today.
“A child is killed by a caregiver more than once every two weeks in our state,” said Barbara Bradley, Executive Director. “Each year, 5 to 6 percent of our state’s children (0-17 years of age) are investigated for suspected maltreatment. If it were an illness, child maltreatment in North Carolina would be classified as an epidemic. We are all responsible and share the shame for this fact.”
June 20, 2005: Policy and Budget Expert Assumes Senior Position at NCCAI
RALEIGH, NC ---THE NORTH CAROLINA CHILD ADVOCACY INSTITUTE has announced Elizabeth Hudgins as Senior Director of Policy and Research. Ms. Hudgins comes to North Carolina following tenure as Vice President of Policy and Research for the Children’s Action Alliance in Arizona. Hudgins holds a Masters in Public Policy from the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy at Duke University.
February 7, 2005: Community Leader Assumes Senior Position at NCCAI
RALEIGH, NC ---THE NORTH CAROLINA CHILD ADVOCACY INSTITUTE has announced Robin P. Costello as Senior Director of Development and External Relations. Ms. Costello brings over 20 years experience in community relations, public affairs, and strategic business development, impacting large corporations as well as small non-profit organizations.
