OP-ED: Models for Change — A Decade of Advancing Juvenile Justice
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With Models for Change, real progress is being made. Fewer youth are being incarcerated nationwide and more attorneys are providing zealous defense on behalf of youth.
An 11-year-old denied making a threat and was allowed to return to school. Tennessee police arrested him anyway.
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In late September, Torri was driving down the highway with her 11-year-old son Junior in the back seat when her phone started ringing.
It was the Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputy who worked at Junior’s middle school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Deputy Arthur Richardson asked Torri where she was. She told him she was on the way to a family birthday dinner at LongHorn Steakhouse.
“He said, ‘Is Junior with you?’” Torri recalled.
Earlier that day, Junior had been accused by other students of making a threat against the school. When Torri had come to pick him up, she’d spoken with Richardson and with administrators, who’d told her he was allowed to return to class the next day. The principal had said she would carry out an investigation then. ProPublica and WPLN are using a nickname for Junior and not including Torri’s last name at the family’s request, to prevent him from being identifiable.
When Richardson called her in the car, Torri immediately felt uneasy. He didn’t say much before hanging up, and she thought about turning around to go home. But she kept driving. When they walked into the restaurant, Torri watched as Junior happily greeted his family.
Soon her phone rang again. It was the deputy. He said he was outside in the strip mall’s parking lot and needed to talk to Junior. Torri called Junior’s stepdad, Kevin Boyer, for extra support, putting him on speaker as she went outside to talk to Richardson. She left Junior with the family, wanting to protect her son for as long as she could ...
A campus shooting spurred her political awakening. Her whole family followed.
TUCSON, Arizona — Adriana Grijalva was getting ready to head to class at the University of Arizona in the fall of 2022 when she got a text message from her cousin telling her to stay put. The cousin, who works in maintenance at the university, had watched law enforcement descend on campus and reached out to make sure she was safe. A former student had just shot a professor 11 times, killing him.
Justice organization announces new youth restorative justice partners
Equal Justice USA (EJUSA) announced October 8 that it will partner with four new communities to build new restorative youth justice diversion programs. Restorative justice includes an accountability process that identifies root causes of youth criminal actions, while providing an opportunity for healing both for the person harmed and the person who has caused harm.
A Louisiana law meant to fight teen violence is sweeping 17-year-olds arrested for lesser crimes into adult court
Louisiana is the only state to pass and then reverse Raise the Age legislation. Louisiana’s criminal justice system now treats all 17-year-olds as adults. Is reversing Raise the Age making a difference in the number of violent crimes by 18-year-olds?
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Mayor Stands by Police Commissioner on Harlem Raids, Promises More
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Mayor Bill de Blasio promised more controversial raids in the city’s public housing projects like the one that swept through the Manhattanville and Ulysses S. Grant Houses.
Specialized Education for Los Angeles Pregnant, Parenting Teens
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Beginning when she was 13, Raquelle Miranda had several encounters with the juvenile justice system. She had her first child, Issac, when she was 17.
OP-ED: ‘Fearful inheritance’: What the Case for Reparations Means for Jail and Prison Reform
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“The Case for Reparations,” and what it means for jail and prison reform.
JJIE’s Daryl Khan Talks Harlem Gang Raids with WNYC’s Brian Lehrer
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JJIE's New York Metro Bureau chief, Daryl Khan, spoke with WNYC's Brian Lehrer Tuesday about a recent gang raid in Harlem.
L.A. Judge Objects to School Police Getting Millions Reserved for Struggling Students
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Juvenile Court Judge Michael Nash said this particular pot of money should not be diverted to support the L.A. district’s school police force.
OP-ED: JJDPA Reauthorization’s Time Has (Finally!) Come
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U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) announced his intention today to introduce bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the JJDPA “very soon.”
Author Documents ‘Voices of Youth Violence’ in Chicago
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Professor Miles Harvey worked with his students to interview Chicagoans impacted by violence.