lawyers for juveniles trained for racial justice trials: officer arresting a 14 year-old black boy

Opinion: Lawyers for Juveniles Trained in Racial Justice Trials

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In my 15 years of working with youth who cycle through the criminal justice system — initially as a social worker and, now, as a lawyer — I’ve represented exactly two white clients. Mainly, my clients have been Latinx kids and Black kids like that one whose tragic story I’ve partly shared. Too often, Black and Latinx kids aren’t granted the same allowances, including diversion from incarceration, that are given to white youth deemed guilty of the very same infractions. 

Part of the solution lies in projects such as Ambassadors for Racial Justice, which trains juvenile defenders across the nation on how to combat systemic racism through case advocacy, community activism and legislation. Georgetown Law Professor Kristin Henning launched the program and National Juvenile Defender Center Executive Director Mary Ann Scali has been a driving force in its development; both of have been battling racial inequities in the juvenile legal system for more than 25 years.

In North Carolina, Some Courts Shutter For Now Due to Pandemic

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Many states have not yet acted on advocates’ desire for quick release of all minors incarcerated for nonviolent, mostly misdemeanor offenses who are at risk of infection with COVID-19. There is pushback from opposing sides who feel releasing currently locked-up youth poses a safety risk.

Justice Hines: Single-Parent Households Wreaking Havoc On Georgia Children, Contributing To Criminal Behavior

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Georgia State Supreme Court Justice Harris Hines is sharing some provocative views about the troubled state of Georgia’s children. During an address earlier this month to a joint meeting of the Covington (Ga.) Kiwanis and Covington Rotary Clubs, Justice Hines proclaimed that children born to unwed mothers is the single most serious problem faced in the state in regards to children. The impact, he says, trickles down into the juvenile justice and criminal justice systems. Justice Hines shared his perspective with JJIE.org’s Chandra R. Thomas. JJIE: What initially inspired your comments? Justice Hines: Alcovy [Ga.] Judicial District Court Judge Ken Wynne, a former district attorney, invited me to speak to the joint meeting.

Most Juvenile Cases Involve Younger Teens

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There were 1,666,100 delinquency cases processed across the nation in 2007.  54% involved children younger than 16.   27% involved girls, and 64% involved white youngsters.   For a wealth of data check out  The National Juvenile Court Data Archive and its annual report on  Juvenile Court Statistics 2006-2007