More than 50 years after the Supreme Court guaranteed youth the right to counsel and other due process protections in In re Gault, 387 U.S. 1 (1967), youth of color continue to face persistent injustices in the juvenile and criminal legal systems. Black youth comprised only 14 percent of our country’s children in 2021, yet accounted for more than 35 percent of all youth referred to court. These disparities exist despite consistent youth behavior across race and ethnicity. For offenses that occur on or off school grounds, youth of color are disproportionately suspended or expelled. Once youth of color are arrested, they are more likely to be adjudicated delinquent, rather than diverted from the court system; and once adjudicated, they are more likely to be removed from their homes and placed in secure facilities.
Racial Justice for Youth: A Toolkit for Defenders empowers youth defenders with the training, resources, and information to fight the over-policing, over-criminalization, and school exclusion of youth of color.
Through the Toolkit, we hope to inspire youth defenders to view racial justice advocacy as an integral and essential component of their youth advocacy.
Click here to sign up for an account for access to member-only resources. While many Toolkit resources are available without an account, Racial Justice Defenders who sign up can access actionable content for verified professionals including sample motions and more.
Developed in partnership with Georgetown Law's Juvenile Justice Clinic & Initiative, the Racial Justice Toolkit provides resources for youth defenders and advocates who are committed to advancing racial justice in court, in policy advocacy, and in their communities.
