Recent news

The State of Wisconsin today agreed to settle a class action lawsuit, J.J. vs. Litscher, brought against the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth prisons. The young plaintiffs in the case challenged abusive practices such as solitary confinement and use of pepper spray, and were represented by the ACLU of Wisconsin, Juvenile Law Center and pro bono attorneys at Quarles & Brady. This settlement, pending court approval, comes a few months after the state of Wisconsin passed legislation to close the controversial facilities by 2021.

Juvenile Law Center today unveiled a new tool to help understand issues facing older youth in foster care – the National Extended Foster Care Review. The tool catalogs each state’s laws and policies concerning extended foster care – continued support for youth who are age 18 and older.

Juvenile Law Center is proud to present its new website, http://www.jlc.org. The organization partnered with Message Agency, a Philadelphia-based digital agency specializing in work with nonprofits, foundations, universities, governments, and social enterprises. Previous winners in the category of Best “Law” Website at the 17th Annual Webby Awards, Juvenile Law Center is building on past success with a new site bringing its work to broader audiences.

This move comes after years of federal and state investigations into the facilities and a class action lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Wisconsin and Juvenile Law Center, with pro-bono assistance from Quarles & Brady.

Washington, DC –  Juvenile Law Center filed an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court yesterday in support of Brendan Dassey, who is seeking the high court’s review of his 2007 conviction of the  murder of Teresa Halbach in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. 

The Wisconsin State Assembly introduced bipartisan legislation in the Wisconsin Capitol to close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake. The move comes after years of federal and state investigations into the facilities, and a class action lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Wisconsin and Juvenile Law Center, with pro-bono assistance from Quarles & Brady. The suit successfully resulted in a preliminary injunction this past summer meant to halt the unconstitutional use of solitary confinement and other inhumane conditions and practices.  

A proposed amendment to the state constitution of Florida would ensure that children in the foster care system have access to counsel. Today, Juvenile Law Center joined partners in the state and nationwide calling on the Florida Constitution Revision commissioners to support this move, which is known as Proposal 40.

Today Juvenile Law Center, along with several other advocacy organizations, filed an amicus (friend of the court) brief in the Unites States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, on behalf of Cyntoia Brown, a Nashville young woman who received a life sentence with the opportunity for parole after 51 years when she was just sixteen years old. Cyntoia’s case recently garnered national media attention when several celebrities, including Rihanna and Kim Kardashian West, spoke out against this unjust and unconstitutional, sentence.