On today’s episode of The Confluence:Black pregnant women delivering babies are more likely to get tested for drugs when delivering than white women, suggests a new study of a health system in the commonwealth. We speak to Marian Jarlenski, author of the paper and an associate professor of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, about this disparity. (0:00 - 6:53) The Pittsburgh Public School board approved using grants to cover the cost of police training for school security guards. We speak to Ghadah Makoshi, an advocacy and policy strategist with the ACLU of Pennsylvania, about the implications of interactions between students and law enforcement. (7:00 - 14:38) The Steelers have completed their 2023 college football draft, picking up Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones in the first round. We speak with The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo about the team’s choices. (14:43 - 22:30)
Pennsylvania school districts are monitoring the online activity of students to flag bullying or mental health issues. But data and privacy experts say it's invasive.
Central Bucks will monitor online activity to flag students experiencing bullying or mental health issues. Data and privacy experts say there are unintended harms to consider.
Connecticut Senate Republicans have released a draft bill aiming to provide more work opportunities while also addressing a rise in crime among young people. Advocates say reforms should not be reversed, and strategies addressing crime should support community needs. Car thefts in the state increased 40% between 2019 and 2020, although data showed young people weren t the majority of those cases. .
With hours remaining in New Mexico s 2022 legislative session, a bill to disallow life sentences without the possibility of parole for juveniles was withdrawn from consideration. The bill would not have guaranteed, but instead created the "opportunity" for parole after 15 years in jail for juveniles sentenced as adults, but advocates such as the ACLU of New Mexico pointed out some lawmakers attempted to amend the bill beyond recognition. Denali Wilson, staff attorney for the ACLU of New Mexico, said demands for parole eligibility to be increased substantially beyond the 15 years were not acceptable. .