A report obtained by The Washington Post found that impoverished families are often required to pay for counsel even after a court deems them ‘too poor to pay.’
The U.S. Constitution affords all defendants (juveniles and adults) the right to counsel - if they cannot afford an attorney, the court must appoint one
Juvenile Law Center releases groundbreaking report detailing burdensome policies of charging for “free” public defenders in majority of states across the country
This country has a long history of removing young people involved in the justice system or child welfare system from their communities and placing them in facilities far from home. Institutional placements are increasingly recognized as costly, damaging, and inhumane, and localities have successfully implemented alternatives.
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