Recent news

The St. Louis native who has been behind bars since he was 16 was among 100 people given life sentences as juveniles who got a new chance at parole after state legislators passed a law in 2021.

As President Biden noted, marking the occasion this year, every October is National Youth Justice Action Month, where we “recommit to transforming our juvenile justice system, shifting its focus from punishment to support — from the past to the future.” However, this transformation cannot take place if we continue to seek justice through policies that cause harm despite sounding benign.

Every youth needs support when entering state systems - it doesn’t matter if they enter the justice or child welfare system. Each youth’s needs are different, and not every case is the same. Many don’t have much support at all. I know this, from many of my friends who were in both systems and from my own direct experience.

For years the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania failed to address structural barriers that lead to imbalanced and inadequate education for youth with involvement in the justice and child welfare systems but Act 1 is the first step to correcting that.  

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Sept. 7 exposé about Juvenile Court Judge Alex Kim’s YouTube antics pulled back the curtain on the myth of the benevolent and wise juvenile court judge ensconced with the power to guide errant youth on a course of rehabilitation.

Juvenile Law Center is proud to share a recent publication from Lindsey E. Smith & Nadia Mozaffar regarding the harms of restitution. We are proud to be a leader in the Debt Free Justice campaign and staunchly support the end of court fines, fees, and restitution for all youth.

On Friday, September 23rd Youth Advocate Bre Stoves launched her new single for Care, Not Control: The Album, "Untold Story," to wide spread acclaim.