FARGO -- U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D, will be discussing juvenile justice issues affecting troubled, runaway and homeless youth in North Dakota Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the Boys and Girls Club of the Red River Valley in Fargo.
Joining in the meeting will be law enforcement, criminal justice experts, substance abuse and mental health counselors, school administrators and social service organizations. The discussion, she said, will focus on what is being done across various levels and within multiple agencies and what more can be done to address the needs of juveniles to prevent criminal behavior in the first place and how to rehabilitate those already in contact with the criminal justice system to reduce recidivism. Heitkamp has been an advocate in the U.S. Senate to push for increased funding for runaway and homeless youth programs.
