It’s a huge milestone in our efforts to eliminate the school-to-prison pipeline to have the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education Arnie Duncan state, “Positive discipline policies can help create safer learning environments without relying heavily on suspensions and expulsions. Schools also must understand their civil rights obligations and avoid unfair disciplinary practices. We needRead More

 This post, originally published by SparkAction on October 22, 2013, is part of the ACT4JJ Campaign’s JJDPA Matters Blog Project, a 16-week series that launched on Sept. 10, 2013. You can find the full series in the JJDPA Matters Action Center.   By Sarah Munshi   Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) students are overrepresented in theRead More

Andrew Moore, National League of Cities, just forwarded the outline of a federal Dropout Recovery Bill. Representative Jared Polis’ office has spearheaded the drafting of the bill and has drawn on ideas from leaders in the effort to re-engage young people in school and work. This is a smart bill that leverages states and districtsRead More

By Sarah Bryer It is a particular challenge for the juvenile justice reform movement that much of our most crucial work happens on the state and local levels. State laws and policies regarding juvenile justice vary widely from state to state, leading to diverse reform agendas as local advocates all push for the changes they seeRead More

Isn’t it fun when policy is trending our way? Indeed, after reading State Trends Legislative Victories from 2011-2013 Removing Youth From the Adult Criminal Justice System released by the Campaign for Youth Justice I just want to celebrate. State Trends identifies twenty-three states that enacted forty pieces of legislation to reduce the prosecution of youth in adult criminalRead More

Saturday, September 28, marked the kick off of the Dignity in Schools Campaign‘s 4th annual Week of Action Against School Pushout. You can participate in an event or help spread the word. However you choose to do it, this is a great week to have your voice heard. What You Can Do Right Now toRead More

The Frameworks Institute recently released an e-blast detailing current research on the issue of framing criminal justice reform. Their findings — most of what we use doesn’t work. We should be focusing on pragmatism.The following is from their e-blast: Criminal Justice Policy Support Greatly Affected by Reframing Strategies, According to Two New FrameWorks Reports SeptemberRead More

“The arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice, but it doesn’t bend on its own. To secure the gains this country has made requires constant vigilance, not complacency. Whether it’s by challenging those who erect new barriers to the vote or ensuring that the scales of justice work equally for all in theRead More

This article was originally published by The Law Offices of Bonnie Z. Yates blog on August 6, 2013. It has been reposted here with permission. By Rosa K. Hirji Children’s Rights Litigation Committee American Bar Association Scott B., a 14 year old student with a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was dismissed from hisRead More

A few weeks ago, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan challenged charters at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools annual conference to stop pushing students out of their schools and to start serving the most vulnerable students, including those that are over-age and undercredited and those in the juvenile justice system. After congratulating high performingRead More