12 Days of Yuletide Youth-Tide
by Kristina “KK” Kersey, Sr. Youth Defense Counsel
Christmas songs are weird. Between people demanding figgy pudding and refusing to leave until they get some, to the wildly problematic Baby, It’s Cold Outside. (This maiden aunt’s mind is, indeed, vicious, but it’s because of your inability to understand consent.)
Is it the public defender in me that doesn’t like to throw around the image of conspiring by a fire? (Sherika was today years old when she learned it was “conspire” and not “perspire.”) And I feel for the mom in I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, caught between being accused of infidelity and announcing Santa isn’t real. Like, let this mom live.
However, nothing is as confusing as the poor recipient of a foul number of fowl in The Twelve Days of Christmas. Your true love brought you seven swans, six geese, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge? Weird flex, but ok. Well, our dear defenders, just in time for the holidays, NJDC The Gault Center is delivering The Twelve Days of Yuletide Youth-Tide.
On the first day of winter solstice, the Gault Center gave to me, a virtual Summit that was COVID and variant free!
On the second day of Feliz Navidad, the Gault Center gave to me, two Ambassadors for Racial Justice cohorts and a virtual Summit that was COVID and variant free!
On the third day of Happy New Year, the Gault Center gave to me, three state indiscriminate shackling reforms,[i] two Ambassadors for Racial Justice cohorts, and a virtual Summit that was COVID and variant free!
On the fourth day of Christmas, the Gault Center gave to me, four new Gault team members, three state indiscriminate shackling reforms, two Ambassadors for Racial Justice cohorts, and a virtual Summit that was COVID and variant free!
On the fifth day of Festivus, the Gault Center gave to me, fiiiiiiiiiiive new listservvvvsss[ii] . . . four new Gault team members, three state indiscriminate shackling reforms, two Ambassadors for Racial Justice cohorts, and a virtual Summit that was COVID and variant free!
On the sixth day of Kwanzaa, the Gault Center gave to me, six JTIP Train the Trainer certifications,[iii] fiiiiiiiiiiive new listservvvvsss . . . four new Gault team members, three state indiscriminate shackling reforms, two Ambassadors for Racial Justice cohorts, and a virtual Summit that was COVID and variant free!
On the seventh day of Happy BDay Jesus, the Gault Center gave to me, seven new publications,[iv] six JTIP Train the Trainer certifications, fiiiiiiiiiiive new listservvvvsss . . . four new Gault team members, three state indiscriminate shackling reforms, two Ambassadors for Racial Justice cohorts, and a virtual Summit that was COVID and variant free!
On the eighth day of Hanukkah, the Gault Center gave to me, eight judges for our inaugural Judicial Racial Justice Network, seven new publications, six JTIP Train the Trainer certifications, fiiiiiiiiiiive new listservvvvsss . . . four new Gault team members, three state indiscriminate shackling reforms, two Ambassadors for Racial Justice cohorts, and a virtual Summit that was COVID and variant free!
On the ninth day of Happy Holidays, the Gault Center gave to me, nine badass regional centers, eight judges for our inaugural Judicial Racial Justice Network, seven new publications, six JTIP Train the Trainer certifications, fiiiiiiiiiiive new listservvvvsss . . . four new Gault team members, three state indiscriminate shackling reforms, two Ambassadors for Racial Justice cohorts, and a virtual Summit that was COVID and variant free!
On the tenth day of Season’s Greetings, the Gault Center gave to me, ten things I kinda maybe don’t hate about Jones, nine badass regional centers, eight judges for our inaugural Judicial Racial Justice Network, seven new publications, six JTIP Train the Trainer certifications, fiiiiiiiiiiive new listservvvvsss . . . four new Gault team members, three state indiscriminate shackling reforms, two Ambassadors for Racial Justice cohorts, and a virtual Summit that was COVID and variant free!
On the eleventh day of Mele Kalikimaka, the Gault Center gave to me, eleven Amicus Curiae, ten things I kinda maybe don’t hate about Jones, nine badass regional centers, eight judges for our inaugural Judicial Racial Justice Network, seven new publications, six JTIP Train the Trainer certifications, fiiiiiiiiiiive new listservvvvsss. . . four new Gault team members, three state indiscriminate shackling reforms, two Ambassadors for Racial Justice cohorts, and a virtual Summit that was COVID and variant free!
On the twelfth day of OhPleaseNotAnotherVariantIn2022, the Gault Center gave to me, twelve rescue animals,[v] eleven Amicus Curiae, ten things I kinda maybe don’t hate about Jones, nine badass regional centers, eight judges for our inaugural Judicial Racial Justice Network, seven new publications, six JTIP Train the Trainer certifications, fiiiiiiiiiiive new listservvvvsss . . . four new Gault team members, three state indiscriminate shackling reforms, two Ambassadors for Racial Justice cohorts, and a virtual summit that was COVID and variant free!
Phew! It’s been quite a year, faithful friends who are dear to us, [who will] gather near to us once more. Someday soon, we all will be together, if the Fates allow. (Seriously, who says that?) Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow. So, have yourself a merry little new year and whatever else you are celebrating now.
[i] Jodi S. Cohen, Michigan Supreme Court Limits Use of Restraints on Juveniles, ProPublica, (Jul. 29, 2021, 9:08 AM), https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2021/07/29/michigan-supreme-court-limits-use-of-restraints-on-juveniles; Liz Sawyer, Minnesota Lawmakers Could End Routine Shackling of Children in Court, StarTribune, (Jun. 20, 2021, 5:16 PM), https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-lawmakers-could-end-routine-shackling-of-children-in-court/600070297/; Gretchen Schuldt, Judges Ask High Court to Limit Judicial Shackling, Urban Milwaukee, (Sept. 20, 2021, 8:20 PM), https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2021/09/20/court-watch-judges-ask-high-court-to-limit-judicial-shackling/.
[ii] Arj2021, Arj, Njjuvdefend, JRJN, and YouthDefenseSocialWorkers.
[iii] Texas, Wisconsin, Maryland, South Carolina, Multi-Region, and ARJ.
[iv] Have a Juvenile Record? Plan for your Future! A Guide to Consequences of a Juvenile Record in Massachusetts, Nat’l Juv. Def. Ctr., (2021); Have a Juvenile Record? Plan for your Future! A Guide to Consequences of a Juvenile Record in Texas, Nat’l Juv. Def. Ctr., (2021); Due Process in the Time of COVID-19 Nat’l Juv. Def. Ctr., (2021); Futures in the Balance Nat’l Juv. Def. Ctr. et al., (2021); Joint Statement on the Importance of Specialization of Judges, Prosecutors, and Defenders in Juvenile Delinquency Proceedings Fair & Just Prosecution, Nat’l Council of Juv. & Fam. Ct. Judges & Nat’l Juv. Def. Ctr. (2021); Seeing What’s Underneath: A Resource for Understanding Behavior & Using Language in Juvenile Court Fair & Just Prosecution, Geo. L. Juv. Just. Initiative, Nat’l Juv. Def. Ctr. & Nat’l Council of Juv. & Fam. Ct. Judges, (2021); Juvenile Defender Resource Guide, Nat’l Juv. Def. Ctr, (2021).
[v] Cosmo Scali, Biggie Smalls Kersey, Weaver Gilbert, Twist Shnider, and Chili, Titus, Mika, Mookie, Kipper, Mullowney, Franklin, and Pepper Borror.