by John Kelly for The Chronicle of Social Change President Trump announced his intention to appoint former Arkansas prosecutor Caren Harp to serve as administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the division of the Justice Department that oversees federal funding and standards related to juvenile justice. Harp has been an associateRead More

By John Holland for JJIE When New York recently moved to Raise the Age, that left North Carolina with the dubious distinction of being the last remaining state to automatically charge all 16-year olds as adults, regardless of the crime. This finally motivated the state to act, and the legislature has passed a version ofRead More

After decades of debate, through the tireless efforts of numerous advocates and public leaders, New York is finally poised to end the practice of automatically trying all 16- and 17-year olds in adult court. Click the links below to read news coverage of the event: The Fine Print in New York’s Raise the Age Law,Read More

The Youth Justice Work Group of YTFG invites you to a conference call for funders on Thursday, May 18th at 1pm ET / 10am PT. Featuring Xavier McElrath-Bey of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, Marsha Levick of the Juvenile Law Center, and Lauren Fine and Joanna Visser Adjoian of the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project.Read More

The Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice (FACJJ) has issued recommendations to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) for strategies to advance juvenile justice reform for LGBQ/GNCT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning/gender nonconforming, transgender) youth. The recommendations are grouped into four categories: Policy and Program Development Training and Technical Assistance Data Collection andRead More

Commentary by Barack Obama Harvard Law Review Former President Barack Obama has authored an article for the Harvard Law Review, detailing his personal commitment to justice reform, and providing an overview of his Administration’s efforts and accomplishments. He also shares his insights regarding the methods of influence at a President’s disposal, as well as reflectionsRead More

by John Kelly The Chronicle of Social Change The Justice Department has published proposed new rules related to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) that will require most states to make significant improvements or face the loss of federal funds at a time when the appropriation has dropped significantly. Click here to read theRead More

The Annie E. Casey Foundation has released a new KIDS COUNT Policy Report entitled, A Shared Sentence – The Devastating Toll of Parental Incarceration on Kids, Families and Communities. Download the report here.  

by Erik Eckholm The New York Times Louisiana is among a dwindling number of states where 17-year-olds are automatically treated as adults, and among a growing number that are looking at revising those laws. Read the full story here.  

by Abby Sewell and Garrett Therolf Los Angeles Times May 3, 2016 Los Angeles County on Tuesday approved sweeping restrictions on the use of solitary confinement for juvenile detainees, joining a larger movement against a practice that some consider cruel and unproductive. The Board of Supervisors’ action bans solitary confinement at youth camps and hallsRead More