Recent news

The decision by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to forge ahead with federal use of for-profit prisons is dangerously ill advised. Private detention and prison facilities

In one of the latest examples of efforts by the current administration to undo reforms, Attorney General Sessions has announced in a memo to Justice Department attorneys that they must review all “existing and contemplated consent decrees.” This directive calls into question the consent decrees negotiated by the Justice Department with cities and police forces throughout the country to address discriminatory practices and abuses by police.

“We are talking about kids who are caught up in an adult system and are caught up with adult sentencing statutes,” says Marsha Levick, Deputy

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court yesterday reversed and remanded the order terminating parental rights in the case of L.B.M., holding that failure to appoint client-directed counsel to represent the children’s legal interests was a structural error. Juvenile Law Center filed an amicus brief in this case and applauds this outcome. “This case represents a key victory in the state of Pennsylvania for children’s rights,” said Lisa Swaminathan, Staff Attorney at Juvenile Law Center.

Most recently, the ACLU and the Juvenile Law Center have filed a lawsuit on behalf of four teenagers against state officials claiming cruel and unusual

Last night at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Juvenile Law Center was honored to present three extraordinary individuals with our 2017 Leadership Prizes.

“There’s no state that’s fully protecting records in a way where they’re confidential throughout the court proceedings and then immediately expunged upon conclusion of the

Yesterday, Juvenile Law Center’s Child Welfare Policy Director Jennifer Pokempner testified before Philadelphia City Council’s Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and the Homeless on Councilwoman’s Blackwell’s Resolution 170027 to investigate ways the city can prevent homeless through new models.