Jody Kent Lavy, Author at Juvenile Justice Information ExchangeJuvenile Justice Information Exchange

Jody Kent Lavy

Jody Kent Lavy is Director & National Coordinator of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth. Using a multi-pronged strategy that includes public education, legislative advocacy, and litigation, she and her staff work with advocates around the country to end the practice of sentencing youth to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prior to joining the Campaign for Fair Sentencing of Youth, Jody served as the Public Policy Coordinator for the ACLU National Prison Project (NPP). In that role, she spearheaded a campaign to amend the Prison Litigation Reform Act. She previously served the ACLU of Southern California as the Jails Project Coordinator. Jody was responsible for monitoring the Los Angeles county jails to ensure that certain legal requirements were met and that basic services were provided to people incarcerated there. In June 2006, Jody was appointed to a panel of experts that reported to a federal district judge to negotiate and develop plans to reduce overcrowding at Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles, the nation’s largest jail. Among the accomplishments: six-person cells were reduced to four-person cells, four-person cells were reduced to two-person cells, and the jail ended the practice of forcing inmates to sleep on the floor. Currently, Jody serves on the board of Our Place DC, which provides services to women returning from prison in Washington, DC. Jody holds a BA from Boston College and a Master in Public Management from the University of Maryland’s Public Policy School.

OP-ED: Juveniles Change; They Deserve Bolder Reforms

By Jody Kent Lavy | March 6, 2015

While some significant progress has been made, it is imperative that we demand bolder reforms that are focused on child well-being and informed by those who are directly impacted.

OP-ED: Both Pope Francis, UN Call on Us to Do Better by Our Children

By Jody Kent Lavy | November 20, 2014

As we observe the 25th anniversary of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Thursday, Pope Francis’ recent call for the elimination of life sentences and abolition of all criminal penalties for children is especially noteworthy.

Notion that “Kids are Different” Takes Hold in Youth Justice Policy Reform

By Jody Kent Lavy | December 31, 2012

2005 – Roper v. Simmons: U.S. Supreme court rules that it is cruel and unusual punishment to impose the death penalty on people for crimes committed when they were younger than 18. “[F]rom a moral standpoint it would be misguided to equate the failings of a minor with those of an adult, for a greater possibility exists that a minor’s character deficiencies will be reformed.” Roper v. Simmons, 543 U. S. 551, 570 (2005).

2010 – Graham v. Florida: U.S. Supreme Court rules that life-without-parole sentences imposed on children for non-homicide offenses are unconstitutional. “‘(J)uvenile offenders cannot with reliability be classified among the worst offenders.’ “ Graham v, Florida, 130 S. Ct. 2011, 2026 (2010), quoting Roper, 543 U.S., at 573.“Juveniles are more capable of change than are adults, and their actions are less likely to be evidence of ‘irretrievably depraved character’ than are the actions of adults. Id.

2011 -- J.D.B. v. North Carolina: U.S. Supreme Court establishes that youth status matters in areas of youth justice beyond the context of harsh sentencing policies when it imposed the requirement that law enforcement officials must consider the age of a suspect in determining whether Miranda warnings should be issued.

California’s Passage of Fair Sentencing Act Sets Stage for Rest of Country

By Jody Kent Lavy | October 17, 2012

Last month, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the Fair Sentencing for Youth Act, state Senate Bill 9. This law creates a process to periodically review the progress of individuals sentenced to life without parole for crimes committed as youth, with the possibility of resentencing. It declares to Californians that their children — even those who have committed serious crimes — are better than their worst acts and, therefore, deserve a second chance at life. This is a value I know many Americans share, and it should be a common characteristic of our state laws. We demonstrated our belief in the inherent redeemability of children when we established a juvenile justice system: a system we made the error of bypassing when a now-disproven theory from the 1980s about juvenile “superpredators” caused us to start throwing away our children. But, as California and the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year in Miller v. Alabama have shown, the tide is turning.

In the Wake of Miller v. Alabama, States Should Rethink How to Hold Youthful Offenders Accountable

By Jody Kent Lavy | August 8, 2012

Many states are scrambling to figure out how to comply with the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for children are cruel and unusual punishments. The best advice is simple: slow down and take advantage of this opportunity to rethink how you should hold youth accountable for serious crimes. The June ruling struck down all statutes that require a child to be sentenced to die in prison. In doing so, the Court reaffirmed its recent holdings that require children to be treated differently in the justice system. People now serving mandatory life sentences without parole for crimes committed as youth are due resentencing hearings, which must take into account mitigating factors such as their age at the time of the crime, family history, role in the crime, and other relevant factors.