Policy Tool
Outlines steps that states must take to comply with the minimum requirements of the U.S. Constitution to protect the rights of youth facing deprivations of liberty.
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Ceres Policy Research Center partnered with youth leaders in Alameda County, California, to assess the current landscape of the juvenile legal system and outline a youth-centered vision for the future. Utilizing a youth participatory action research protocol, this report relied on youth leaders to design and implement…
Involvement with the delinquency system—including arrests, charges that get dismissed, and adjudications— can create obstacles to a young person’s success. Many youth experience overwhelming hurdles because their juvenile records are available to the public, appear on background checks, or create long-term debt from fines and fees, which can result in denial of employment, housing, loans,…
Key Points: Testing limits is normal adolescent behavior. Young people act out, make mistakes, and push boundaries largely because the parts of their brains that regulate these behaviors are still being formed. Diverting youth from the legal system by keeping them in school can result in better life outcomes for young people. The legal system…
The words we choose have a significant impact on the young people we serve. We may inadvertently use language laden with bias, disapproval, and negative judgment that can impact youths’ perceptions of themselves. Our language can also impact our own thinking and decision-making. In Part I of this guide, we hope to break down some…
In February and March 2020, as COVID-19 spread throughout the United States, NJDC recognized a crisis facing youth involved in the juvenile courts and the attorneys tasked with defending them. The contagious nature of COVID-19 and the public health protocols meant to mitigate transmission heightened risks to the health and wellbeing of youth entering the…
Referring young people to the legal system can negatively impact their life outcomes as it excludes them from school, disconnecting them from learning and engaging in prosocial activities. There may be times when schools need to seek assistance from law enforcement, but for the vast majority of situations, a variety of levers exist outside of…
Numerous myths and misconceptions exist about involvement with the juvenile legal system and the effects it can have on a young person’s trajectory to success. Many people have misconceptions about the mostly unrealized benefits of juvenile court, thinking juvenile court is a benevolent system of support that does not lead to longterm negative outcomes. The…
To promote justice for all children, the National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC) must actively work to counteract the deeply rooted systemic biases that disproportionately impact Black, Latinx, Asian, Native, Indigenous, and all youth who experience disparate treatment because of their race or ethnicity at every stage of the juvenile legal system.
National Juvenile Defender Center Statement on Recent Deaths of Black Americans & Need to Dismantle Systemic Racism release on May 29, 2020