What's on our radar this week

Each week, Juvenile Law Center gathers the latest studies, reports, and headlines from around the country. Here's what we've been reading:

•  In January, a new law in California will replace privately run group homes with "short-term residential treatment centers".
•  According to a recent study by the American University Law Review, the new "national consensus" is against juvenile life sentencing practices.
• In North Dakota, the number of unaccompanied homeless youth are mounting, yet they are still a "hidden" population in schools.
• In California, a debate on whether juveniles can waive their rights continues.
• A recent study by the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention found that Ohio has the smallest number of juvenile offenders held in detention. Two decades ago, the state decided to focus more on community-based alternatives to juvenile detention.
• A recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that Georgia and South Carolina had an average or above-average number of foster children in group homes. Both states have now pledged to place more children in family-based care settings.
• At the BET 2015 Presidential Justice Forum, Senator Bernie Sanders, stated that he believes creating programs that give children real chances to pursue higher education will reduce incarceration and keep kids in the classroom.
• This week Ohio approved a bill that will extend foster care eligibility from 18 to 21.
• During 2015 California passed three reforms that support youth record sealing and successful re-entry for youth involved with the justice system. 
• In Michigan a bill, which will raise the eligible age for juvenile status from 17-18, had its first hearing this week.
• The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee in Florida unanimously backed a bill aimed at keeping juvenile non-violent offenders out of adult prisions by addressing the legal practice of "direct file".
• Since August 2015 Arkansas has made great strides in improving their foster care system. This week Governor Hutchinson dicussed the status of these improvements.
• California Senator Mark Leno proposed a new law that would limit solitary confinement of youth in state juvenile correctional facitilies.
• A new report by the Citizens for Juvenile Justice, "Missed Opportunities" found that youth in the child-welfare system are more likely to end up in the juvenile-justice system.
• Brittany, a runaway in Seattle, shares her poignant story about how the disjointed state-system failed her time and time again.

Did we miss a big story? Email us at [email protected] with your headline.