Juvenile Justice

Joe Arpaio's High School "Murder/Suicide Plot" Suspect Released to Her Parents

The 16-year-old girl who had a plan that Sheriff Joe Arpaio declared "almost meets the profile of what happened in [Newtown], Connecticut" has been released from custody. Maricopa County Superior Court spokesman Vincent Funari tells New Times that a judge ordered the girl to be released on an electr ... More >>

Tyson Langley, 15-Year-Old Accused of Double Homicide, Pleads Not Guilty to Murder Charges

Peoria Police DepartmentTyson Langley​Tyson Langley, the 15-year-old accused of murdering two people at a Peoria smoke shop last month, was in Maricopa County Superior Court this morning where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder.Despite his young age, Langley's being charged ... More >>

Tyson Langley, 15-Year-Old Accused of Double-Murder, Held on $2 Million Bond

Baby-faced alleged killer Tyson Langley​Tyson Langley, the 15-year-old accused of gunning down two people at a Peoria smoke shop last week, is being held on $2 million bond after he was arrested in Los Angeles over the weekend and extradited back to the Valley.Langley, court records obtained by Ne ... More >>

Yolanda Silva Admitted to Molesting 10-Year-Old Girl While in Custody of CPS

MCSOYolanda Silva​An 18-year-old Phoenix woman was arrested yesterday for molesting a 10-year-old girl who is the daughter of her one-time foster parents. The suspect, Yolanda Silva, was 16 at the time.According to court documents obtained by New Times, Silva was in the custody of Child Protective ... More >>

Morning Poll: Should 16-Year-Old Accused of Murdering Girlfriend's Mother Be Charged as Adult?

​The Maricopa County Attorney's Office decided yesterday that it will try Braden Matthew Rockriver as an adult for allegedly murdering his 18-year-old girlfriend's mother earlier this week.Rockriver's not exactly an adult, though -- he's only 16.According to Mesa police, Rockriver made plans to st ... More >>

Virginia Teen Sentenced in Beating Death of Elderly Tempe Man. He'll Be a Free Man When He's 21

George Baker at his granddaughter's wedding hours before a pack of teenage thugs beat him to death to impress a girl.​A teenage Virginia murderer was sentenced today for his role in the brutal beating death of an 81-year-old Tempe man last year. However, because the boy is a teen, the "rotte ... More >>

Suicide at the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections

From Brewer to Arpaio, No One's Listening to the Experts About How to Save Money or Protect Civil Rights and Public Safety When It Comes to Juvenile Corrections

Suicidal Tendencies: The Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections Is a Bloody Mess

Dr. Deception: Joseph Franzetti Dispenses $300 Psych Evaluations Like They’re Flu Shots, but the Reports Are Useless

County Attorney Wants Second Liberian Boy Charged as Adult in Rape of Little Girl

County Attorney Andrew Thomas​The Maricopa County Attorney's Office wants to charge a second teen attacker as an adult in the sexual assault of an 8-year-old Liberian girl.Last month, police say the 8-year-old was sexually assaulted by four Liberian boys -- ages 9, 10, 13, and 14. After the ... More >>

Can Maricopa County’s Juvenile-Justice System Fix Troubled Teens? Rarely, One Judge Laments

An "F" for Effort

Sandra Dowling left a huge mess. Now she's trying to stop the cleanup

Outrageous Fortune

Private lawyers in Maricopa County child-dependency cases are soaking us for unbelievable bucks

Teenage Wasteland

It's up to Governor Janet Napolitano to make sure history doesn't repeat itself — that is, boldly reform juvenile corrections. Or at least make sure someone's watching

Juvenile Offenses

A federal investigation documents serious abuses at the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections

Gentle Exit

ADJC Director steps down

Slammed Again

Abuse lingers in Juvenile Corrections

Gross Negligence?

Parents say state let their son die

See You in October

Federal investigation into juvenile corrections broad but slow

The Kids Are Not All Right

Letters from the week of August 8, 2002

Federal Inquiry

Justice Department examines conditions at state youth facilities

Sins of the Fathers

Letters from the week of May 2, 2002

Portrait of a Young Man

Letters from the week of April 25, 2002

Dying Young

A death at Adobe Mountain raises questions about conditions in youth prisons

Letters

From the week of December 27, 2001

The Kids Are Still Not Alright

Despite public scrutiny, abuse continues at the state's juvenile corrections facilities

Youth Decay

Governor ignores calls for investigation of abuses within juvenile corrections

Is Justice Coming?

New Times report prompts inquiries from federal officials

Letters

From the week of July 26, 2001

Gov: Correct Corrections

Community leaders call for independent task force

Letters

From the week of July 19, 2001

Letters

From the week of July 12, 2001

Welcome to the Hotel Arizona

Check-out time is age 18

Kid Row

Isolated, abused and lacking mental health care, do juvenile offenders leave state custody in worse shape than when they went in?

The Kids Are Not Alright

The Department of Juvenile Corrections is supposed to watch -- and rehabilitate -- troubled teens. But no one's watching the department.

Policy Wanks

Arizona political leaders know the answers but can't seem to pass the violence-prevention test

Murphy's Law

Year after year, Murphy school district officials watched their students die in a hail of violence. They decided to take matters into their own hands.

Net Loss

Twenty years ago-- as gangs began their rise in the valley-shortsighted civic leaders slashed youth programs. Today's troubled kids are still paying the price.

Billion-Dollar Bad Guys

The county's jails are crammed full. But not with the dangerous felons backers of an initiative to raise money for new jails would have you believe.

Business Az Usual

A gruesome death has cost Arizona's multimillion-dollar teen rehabilitation industry a bundle. But it's not because the state is determined to stop the abuse.

Flashes

Letters

Locked in Masquerade

The Department of Juvenile Corrections helped create an overcrowding crisis in state juvenile facilities--to the benefit of a private contractor that employs two former state officials

"What Do They Do With Judges Who Do Things Like This?"

Mitchell Vanorsby was awaiting trial for armed robbery when a judge let him out of jail. Now he's back behind bars, awaiting trial for murder.

SINS OF COMMISSIONERSTHREE COUNTY COURT COMMISSIONERS ARE FIRED, BUT NOBODY IS SURE WHY

HOW COME A JUDGE?ON PAPER, SYMINGTON'S APPOINTEE LOOKS MORE LIKE A CRONY THAN THE BEST-QUALIFIED JURIST

THE FAMILY TRAP

UNDER ITS "REUNIFICATION-FIRST" POSICY, THE STATE OF ARIZONA ROUTINELY FORCES CHILDREN TO LIVE WITH PARENTS WHO ARE UNFIT GUARDIANS BY ANY DEFINITION

DIE LIKE A MAN

A BIASED SYSTEM OF JUVENILE JUSTICE LEFT THAT AS HENRY CRUZ'S ONLY CHOICE

JUVENILE GAMESARE PROSECUTORS CLOGGING THE COURT SYSTEM TO MAKE A POINT?