JUVENILE JUSTICE

The juvenile justice system is often the “last stop” on the Cradle to Prison Pipeline—the crisis at the intersection of poverty and race that puts Black boys born in 2001 at a one in three lifetime risk of going to prison, and Latino boys born in 2001 at a one in six lifetime risk of the same fate—and provides a critical opportunity to intervene and help get children on a more positive track forward toward college, productive work and successful adulthood. The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) works to build awareness of the root causes of the Cradle to Prison Pipeline and trends that incarcerate our youth. CDF identifies effective youth violence prevention and intervention programs that help young people at every point of involvement in the system—ranging from efforts to divert youths from entering the system by creating more alternatives to imprisonment to supporting a youth’s transition back into the community after a period of confinement. CDF also advocates for the humane and rehabilitative treatment of all children in the juvenile justice system, and ultimately, for systemic reform at the local, state and federal levels to ensure children receive fair and appropriate treatment.
CDF’S Juvenile Justice Priorities

Addressing the Educational Needs of Children in the Juvenile Justice System

With nearly one-half (48 percent) of youths in the juvenile justice system functioning below the grade level appropriate for their age and 30 percent reporting a learning disability diagnosis, compared to 28 and five percent of students in the general population, respectively, children in the juvenile justice system have critical learning needs that must be addressed if they are to get on a more positive track forward. CDF is working in three vital areas to ensure the juvenile justice system addresses children’s educational needs:

Educational Services for Confined Youth: Many researchers and advocates agree that students in the juvenile justice system often do not have access to quality academic instruction and programming while they are in confinement. While the average school day for the general population is six to seven hours a day, only 45 percent of youths in the juvenile justice system spend at least six hours a day in school. CDF is studying the availability and quality of instructive services for the incarcerated youth population and identifying policy recommendations based on model programs and legislation that make a difference in the academic and social development of children.

ESEA Reauthorization: Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is a top priority for CDF, and the Juvenile Justice Policy team is working with the Education Policy team to improve Title I, Part D—Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk—to better meet the instructional needs of the students who participate in Part D-funded activities. Learn more about CDF’s education policy priorities.

Out of School Time Learning & Enrichment: CDF Freedom Schools® provide summer and after-school enrichment to help children become engaged with reading, increase their self-esteem and have a more positive attitude toward school and learning. In the summer of 2010, CDF launched three Freedom Schools in juvenile justice settings in Minnesota, Texas, and Washington DC. In 2011 the CDF Freedom Schools program expanded to Middletown, New York. Some juvenile corrections staff noted the benefit for youths who were able to express themselves and feel successful in the scholastic environment. CDF is working to expand the number of CDF Freedom Schools programs in juvenile justice settings in order to give more students access to quality enrichment programs. Learn more about the CDF Freedom Schools program.

Removing Children from Adult Jails and Prisons

On any given day, approximately 81,000 children (263 of every 100,000 youths ages 10 through the state’s upper age of origi¬nal juvenile court jurisdiction in the general population) are held in a juvenile justice residential placement. Additionally, 7,560 children are held in adult jails and 2,778 in adult prisons. As noted in the 2007 report of the National Prison Rape Elimination Act Commission, juveniles are at highest risk of being sexually abused while in confinement, and children housed in adult facilities are at an even higher risk of being victims of sexual abuse than the children retained in juvenile facilities. In light of these disturbing findings, the Commission recommended that juveniles be kept in separate facilities from adults. As the Department of Justice moves to implement the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), CDF has joined other children’s and juvenile justice advocacy organizations in submitting comments urging the Department to follow the Commission’s recommendation and remove all children—whether they are in the juvenile or adult criminal justice system—from adult jails and prisons. Download the PREA youth comments report PDF. CDF is working with the Campaign for Youth Justice and other advocacy organizations to support the Department of Justice in keeping young people safe from sexual abuse and other harms caused by housing children with adult inmates

Visit the Campaign for Youth Justice’s website to learn more about their important work.

Securing Federal Resources for Juvenile Justice Reform

The federal government plays a vital role in protecting children in the juvenile justice system and helping to ensure they get the resources and attention they need to get off the Cradle to Prison Pipeline and onto the pipeline toward college, work and successful adulthood. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is specifically tasked with “strengthening the nation’s juvenile justice system and supporting prevention and early intervention programs that can make a difference for young people and their communities.” In monitoring OJJDP and other federal juvenile justice efforts, CDF is particularly concerned about the following:

Reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) is Long Overdue: First passed in 1974, the JJDPA provides guidance and funding for states to make improvements to their juvenile justice systems and delinquency prevention programs, and requires states to address the over-incarceration of minority children. The JJDPA has been up for reauthorization since 2007 and CDF has worked with other advocacy groups to strengthen state requirements and spur greater juvenile justice reform efforts. 

Learn more about how to get involved in the JJDPA reauthorization.

An OJJDP Administrator Must Be Appointed: President Obama has not yet appointed a permanent OJJDP administrator to oversee the implementation of the JJDPA in the states, and the selection and appropriation of federal grants toward delinquency prevention and intervention programs. This vacant seat has been filled by an interim administrator, Jeff Slowikowski, since President Obama took office in January, 2009. Nineteen members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to President Obama and Attorney General Holder to urge them to appoint a permanent administrator. CDF supports efforts to appoint a permanent administrator who will serve as a strong leader in promoting juvenile justice improvements in every state.

Federal Funding for Juvenile Justice Reform Must Be Protected: CDF works to ensure adequate federal funding for juvenile justice programming, which includes supporting local delinquency prevention programs as well as state-wide juvenile justice activities that comply with JJDPA standards. Unfortunately, juvenile justice programming funded through OJJDP was cut in the 2011, decreasing from $423.6 million in fiscal year 2010 to $276 million. The loss of federal juvenile justice funding often results in delinquency prevention programs closing their doors to at risk youths, as federal grant opportunities decrease. President Obama’s 2012 budget proposed juvenile justice funding levels at $280 million. The President’s budget proposal would increase formula funding to states that comply with the JJDPA (View OJJDP's Formula Grants Program Summary), but cut the block grants that monitor state juvenile justice activities (See the Juvenile Accountability Block Grants Summary), as well as mentoring programs. Learn more about the federal budget.

Supporting California’s Senate Bill 9, the Fair Sentencing for Youth Act

The California State Assembly will soon vote on a bill that reforms the practice of sentencing youths to life without parole. Currently, youths sentenced to life without parole will die in prison, and have no mechanism for being considered for parole, or supervised release, even if they turn their lives around after serving a portion of their sentence and repenting for their actions. Children have a greater capacity to change than adults, therefore, their cases should be reviewed if they can demonstrate they have become responsible, moral, and productive adults. 

Read CDF's Op-ed on Senate Bill 9, "Second Chance at Life".

Partnering with the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition

The National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition (NJJDPC) is a collaborative of over 50 children’s advocacy, social justice, law enforcement, corrections, and faith-based organizations working to ensure healthy families, build strong communities and improve public safety by promoting fair and effective policies, practices and programs for youths involved or at risk of becoming involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. CDF is a member of the NJJDPC and part of the JJDPA reauthorization working group. Meetings are open to the public and are held on the third Tuesday of every month at 1:30 pm in Washington D.C. Learn more about the NJJDPC’s policy platform in 2011.
Recent Juvenile Justice Reports

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention frequently publishes reports on juvenile justice data that has been collected and delinquency prevention programs that have been evaluated.

Read the Campaign for Youth Justice’s recent report, State Trends, which details the legislative victories from 2005 to 2010 in removing children from the adult criminal justice system. While the trend in the 1980s and 1990s was to transfer more children to the adult system, many states have made progress in turning that tide. More recent research has shown that transferring children to the adult system is not good for children or public safety.

Marian Wright Edelman joined with Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, to discuss the current state of juvenile reentry and policies to meet the educational, mental health, and substance abuse needs of the county’s juveniles, and further dismantle the Cradle to Prison Pipeline. A report on juvenile re-entry was prepared for Ridley-Thomas’s office earlier this year by Michelle Newell and Angelica Salazar, former masters candidates at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government who now both work at the CDF on juvenile justice policy. Download the full report commissioned by Ridley-Thomas’s office and edited for the Web, Juvenile Reentry in Los Angeles County: An Exploration of Strengths, Barriers and Policy Options.

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ADVOCATE & FAMILY RESOURCES FOR JUVENILE JUSTICE

Creating a level playing field for all children is a mission that CDF cannot accomplish alone. We often work with or refer people to many other organizations nationwide who are working to improve the lives of children. A list of some of them is below.

Act4JJ.org
ACT 4 Juvenile Justice (ACT4JJ) is a campaign of the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition composed of juvenile justice, child welfare and youth development organizations exploring opportunities related to the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), scheduled for 2009.




Advancement Project
We are an innovative civil rights law, policy, and communications “action tank” that advances universal opportunity and a just democracy for those left behind in America. We believe that sustainable progress can be made when multiple tools—law, policy analysis, strategic communications, technology, and research— are coordinated with grassroots movements.




American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law
The ABA Center on Children and the Law, a program of the Young Lawyers Division, aims to improve children's lives through advances in law, justice, knowledge, practice and public policy. Their areas of expertise include child abuse and neglect, child welfare and protective services system enhancement, foster care, family preservation, termination of parental rights, parental substance abuse, adolescent health, and domestic violence.




American Humane Association
The Children's Division of American Humane develops programs, policies, training, research and evaluation, and cutting-edge initiatives to prevent and respond to child abuse and neglect while also working to strengthen families and communities and enhance child protection systems at the state and county levels.




Annie E. Casey Foundation - Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative
The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) was designed to support the Casey Foundation’s vision that all youth involved in the juvenile justice system have opportunities to develop into healthy, productive adults. JDAI focuses on the juvenile detention component of the juvenile justice system because youth are often unnecessarily or inappropriately detained at great expense, with long-lasting negative consequences for both public safety and youth development.




Asian and Pacific Islander Youth Advocacy Network (AYAN)
The purpose of AYAN is to create a "single voice" for the unmet needs of the Asian & Pacific Islander (API) youth in San Francisco. Partnering with 17 local community organizations and community leaders, AYAN is finding solutions to the Education, Juvenile Justice and Behavorial Health issues facing API youth and their families.




Building Blocks for Youth
In response to current research on the overrepresentation in almost every state of African-American, Latino, and Native American youth in the juvenile justice system and recent trends in more than 40 states to increase prosecution of youths in adult court - the impact of which falls disproportionately on youth of color - the Building Blocks for Youth initiative's goals are to: 1) Reduce overrepresentation and disparate treatment of youth of color in the justice system; and 2) Promote fair, rational and effective juvenile justice policies.




California Juvenile Life Without Parole Act
California Juvenile Life Without Parole Act is a movement to eliminate the sentencing of juveniles to life without parole in California. The Juvenile Life without Parole Reform Act recognizes that all young people, even those serving life sentences, have the capacity to change for the better and should have access to the rehabilitative tools to do so.




California State Juvenile Officers' Association
California State Juvenile Officers' Association is dedicated to safeguarding our youth for the future. Our Association is composed of practitioners from all areas of the juvenile justice system: Law Enforcement, Probation, Parole, Corrections, Judiciary, Social Services and Schools, as well as members from the community at large. CSJOA is devoted to promoting high standards, modern methods and advanced procedures within the field of juvenile justice




Californians for Justice
Californians for Justice is a statewide grassroots organization working for racial justice by building the power of communities that have been pushed to the margins of the political process. They organize youth, immigrants, low-income people and communities of color in order to improve their social, economic and political conditions.




Campaign for Youth Justice
The Campaign for Youth Justice is a national campaign dedicated to ending the practice of trying, sentencing and incarcerating children under the age of 18 in the adult criminal justice system by empowering those moved to act for youth justice.




Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress is a think tank dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through ideas and action. They combine bold policy ideas with a modern communications platform to help shape the national debate, expose the hollowness of conservative governing philosophy, and challenge the media to cover the issues that truly matter.




Center for Children's Law and Policy
The Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP) is a public interest law and policy organization focused on reform of juvenile justice and other systems that affect troubled and at-risk children, and protection of the rights of children in those systems. The Center’s work covers a range of activities including research, writing, public education, media advocacy, training, technical assistance, administrative and legislative advocacy, and litigation.




Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University
The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University advances a balanced, multi-systems approach to fighting juvenile crime that holds youth accountable and promotes positive child and youth development. It supports this reform agenda through a variety of activities, primarily a groundbreaking program of intensive study designed for public agency leaders responsible for policy development and implementation in their jurisdictions.




Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
The Center for Law and Social Policy is a national nonprofit that works to improve the lives of low-income people. CLASP’s mission is to improve the economic security, educational and workforce prospects, and family stability of low-income parents, children, and youth and to secure equal justice for all.




Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP)
For more than twenty years, the Center for Public Policy Priorities has been a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization committed to improving public policies and private practices to better the economic and social conditions of low- and moderate-income Texans. The Center's work is divided into workforce and economic development; access to public benefits, including health care, food, and cash assistance; child protection; school finance; state and federal tax and budget analysis; and family economic security. CPPP is also the Texas home to KIDS COUNT, a state-by-state effort to track and promote the well-being of children. CPPP also chairs and directs the Texas CHIP Coalition.




Center on Juvenile Crime and Justice
The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ) continues to lead the way in providing direct service, technical assistance, and policy research in the fields of juvenile and criminal justice.




Chapin Hall Center for Children
Chapin Hall is an independent policy research center whose mission is to build knowledge that improves policies and programs for children and youth, families, and their communities.




Child Welfare League of America
CWLA is a coalition of hundreds of private and public agencies serving vulnerable children and families. Their focus is children and youth who may have experienced abuse, neglect, family disruption, or a range of other factors that jeopardize their safety, permanence, or well-being. CWLA also focuses on the families, caregivers, and the communities that care for and support these children.




Coalition for Juvenile Justice
The Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) is a national nonprofit association representing governor-appointed advisory groups on juvenile justice from the U.S. states, territories and the District of Columbia. Beginning in 2005, CJJ is also the proud host and sponsor of the growing National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN).




Coleman Center for Children and Youth
Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth works to improve the lives of San Francisco’s children, youth, and families for over 30 years.They are a successfull a member-driven, community-based organization of working families, youth, advocates and service providers.




Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators
CJCA is one of nearly 200 organizations supporting the Act 4 Juvenile Justice campaign to update and reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) to better support and improve state and local juvenile justice programs and practices.




Ella Baker Center
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights is a strategy and action center working for justice, opportunity and peace in urban America. Based in Oakland, California, we promote positive alternatives to violence and incarceration through our four cutting-edge campaigns.




Equal Justice Initiative
The Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama is a private, nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to indigent defendants and prisoners who have been denied fair and just treatment in the legal system.




Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is a national, bipartisan, nonprofit anti-crime organization of more than 3,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, other law enforcement leaders and violence survivors.




Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. By focusing international attention where human rights are violated, they give voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes. Their rigorous, objective investigations and strategic, targeted advocacy build intense pressure for action and raise the cost of human rights abuse.




Justice Policy Institute
The mission of the Justice Policy Institute is to promote effective solutions to social problems and to be dedicated to ending society’s reliance on incarceration.




Juvenile Law Center
Juvenile Law Center (JLC) is one of the oldest multi-issue public interest law firms for children in the United States. JLC maintains a national litigation practice that includes appellate and amicus work. JLC promotes juvenile justice and child welfare reform in Pennsylvania and nationwide through policy initiatives and public education forums.




Los Angeles Leadership Academy
The Los Angeles Leadership Academy prepares urban secondary students to succeed in college or on chosen career paths, to live fulfilling, self-directed lives, and to be effective in creating a just and humane world.




Models for Change
Models for Change is a national initiative funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to accelerate reform of juvenile justice systems across the country. Focused on efforts in select states, the initiative aims to create replicable models for reform that effectively hold young people accountable for their actions, provide for their rehabilitation, protect them from harm, increase their life chances, and manage the risk they pose to themselves and to public safety.




National Center for Youth Law
NJDC provides support to public defenders, appointed counsel, law school clinical programs and non-profit law centers to ensure quality representation in urban, suburban, rural and tribal areas. NJDC offers a wide range of integrated services to juvenile defenders, including training, technical assistance, advocacy, networking, collaboration, capacity building and coordination. NJDC gives juvenile defense attorneys a more permanent capacity to address practice issues, improve advocacy skills, build partnerships, exchange information, and participate in the national debate over juvenile crime.




National Council of La Raza
The National Council of La Raza is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. Through its network of nearly 300 affiliated community-based organizations (CBOs), NCLR reaches millions of Hispanics each year in 41 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. To achieve its mission, NCLR conducts applied research, policy analysis, and advocacy, providing a Latino perspective in five key areas – assets/investments, civil rights/immigration, education, employment and economic status, and health. In addition, it provides capacity-building assistance to its Affiliates who work at the state and local level to advance opportunities for individuals and families.




National Criminal Justice Reference Service
NCJRS offers a range of services and resources, balancing the information needs of the field with the technological means to receive and access support. The following offers a number of highlights of NCJRS services and resources.




National Juvenile Defender Center
NJDC provides support to public defenders, appointed counsel, law school clinical programs and non-profit law centers to ensure quality representation in urban, suburban, rural and tribal areas. NJDC offers a wide range of integrated services to juvenile defenders, including training, technical assistance, advocacy, networking, collaboration, capacity building and coordination.




National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN)
The National Juvenile Justice Network enhances the capacity of state-based, juvenile justice coalitions to advocate for fair, equitable and developmentally appropriate adjudication and treatment for all children, youth and families involved in the juvenile justice system.




National Network for Youth
The National Network for Youth is committed to ensuring that opportunities for growth and development be available to youth everywhere. The youth they work with face greater odds due to abuse and neglect, homelessness, lack of resources, community prejudice, differing abilities and other life challenges. For that reason, they are working to create a community of agencies, people and resources to champion the needs of the youth of today and the leaders of tomorrow.




National Urban League
The Urban League is the nation's oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream.




Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
OJJDP supports states, local communities, and tribal jurisdictions in their efforts to develop and implement effective programs for juveniles. The Office strives to strengthen the juvenile justice system's efforts to protect public safety, hold offenders accountable, and provide services that address the needs of youth and their families




Open Society Institute
The Open Society Institute (OSI), a private operating and grantmaking foundation, aims to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform. On a local level, OSI implements a range of initiatives to support the rule of law, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, OSI works to build alliances across borders and continents on issues such as combating corruption and rights abuses.




Prison Law Office
The Prison Law Office strives to improve the living conditions of California state prisoners by providing free legal services.




Public Welfare Foundation
The Public Welfare Foundation supports efforts to ensure fundamental rights and opportunities for people in need. They look for carefully defined points where funds can make a difference in bringing about systemic changes that can improve the lives of countless people.




Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Reclaiming Futures
Reclaiming Futures helps young people in trouble with drugs, alcohol, and crime. In 2001, with a $21 million investment from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 10 founding communities located throughout the United States began reinventing the way police, courts, detention facilities, treatment providers, and the community work together to meet this urgent need.




Texans Care for Children
Texans Care for Children works to improve the lives of Texas children by building commitment and action for improved public policy and programs. Their issues include: child poverty and family economic security; child and maternal health; children’s mental health; early care and education; child welfare; and at-risk youth and juvenile justice.




Texas Criminal Justice Coalition - Juvenile Justice Initiative
TCJC’s Juvenile Justice Initiative (JJI) advocates for juvenile justice policy solutions that maximize opportunities for troubled youth to become productive, law-abiding adults. Through educational outreach, JJI promotes reallocation of juvenile justice funding toward community-based alternatives to incarceration, treatment for substance abuse and mental health problems, juvenile drug courts, and restorative justice practices.




The Center for Young Women's Development (CYWD)
The Center for Young Women's Development is one of the first non-profits in the United States run and led entirely by young women. From the beginning, they have organized young women who were the most marginalized in San Francisco—those in the street economies and the juvenile justice system—to design and deliver peer-to-peer education and support.




The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice
The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice aims at providing a centralized national focal point that pulls together and links the various activities and research that are currently underway, maximizing the awareness and usefulness of new products and learnings, and using the best available knowledge to guide practice and policy.




The Sentencing Project
The Sentencing Project works for the reform of unfair and ineffective criminal justice policies and promotes alternatives to incarceration. Visit our issue area pages to learn more about the impact and unintended consequences of criminal justice policies.




Urban Institute
The Urban Institute gathers data, conducts research, evaluates programs, offers technical assistance overseas, and educates Americans on social and economic issues — to foster sound public policy and effective government.




Vera Institute of Youth Justice
Vera's Center on Youth Justice provides support to state and local governments interested in improving and reforming their juvenile justice systems.




Voices for America's Children (Voices)
Voices for America’s Children is a nonpartisan, national organization committed to speaking out for the well-being of children at the federal, state and local levels of government. Since 1984, Voices has supported child advocates nationwide who have achieved public policy victories for children in early education, health, juvenile justice, child welfare, tax and budget decisions and other areas.
JUVENILE JUSTICE RESEARCH DATA & PUBLICATIONS
07/22/12
Portrait of Inequality 2012
CDF produced "Portrait of Inequality 2012", a report showing the gross inequalities facing Black children compared to White children, across all critical indicators of wellbeing.07/22/12
The State of America's Children® 2012 Handbook
The State of America’s Children® Handbook provides key national information in a range of areas, as well as state tables showing how children in your state are faring and how your state compares to other states in protecting children. A more comprehensive version will be posted on the web as new data becomes available later this year as part our State of America's Children® annual report.07/22/12
A Portrait of Inequality 2012 - Hispanic Children in America
The economic crisis of the last five years has pushed Hispanic children and youth deeper and deeper into an abyss of poverty, hunger, homelessness and despair. Hispanic children and youth continue to face multiple risks from birth and throughout life that increase the danger of their becoming part of the Cradle to Prison Pipeline® crisis that leads to dead end lives.05/04/12
Child Watch® Column: "Poison in America"
The growth in hate groups and the use of their divisive and negative language in the mainstream political and media arena is cause for national alarm. Already this year several horrendous hate crimes, possible hate crimes, and crimes committed by people with ties to hate groups have received national attention.03/01/12
Analysis of President Obama’s FY 2013 Budget Proposal
A breakdown and analysis of the President's 2013 budget proposal as it relates to children and families.01/30/12
Children in the States Factsheets 2012
These factsheets provide basic stats and rankings regarding poverty, health, hunger, child welfare, early childhood development, education and youth at risk for children in the states.