The American Bar Association wants to show teenagers how minor crime can have big consequences that last a lifetime. A new project will soon give children, families, attorneys and judges information about the collateral consequences of crimes and legal decisions. Should a child take a plea or go to trial? How will certain choices affect their prospects for staying in school, going to college or getting a job? The Collateral Consequences Project is creating a nationwide resource online that will spell out many of the consequences for children, based on the laws of each state. Lawyers and researchers have been gathering information for more than a year. By early fall, they expect to roll out a website with state-by-state sections, and printable files. “The goal is to create a resource for public defenders, prosecutors, judges, children, parents and policy makers,” says Kate Richtman, chair of the ABA’s Juvenile Justice Committee. A key feature of the project will be cards called Think About It, that public defenders, court officers and non-profit programs can hand out. The State Bar of Georgia plans to distribute Think About It cards to 8th graders in the public schools, because that’s when they learn about the justice system. Deborah Craytor, Director of Law Related Education for the State Bar of Georgia says, “We want to put one in the hand of every child every year.”
The Collateral Consequences Project arose out of a discussion between Richtman, who is also Chief Juvenile Prosecutor in St. Paul, MN, and Christopher Gowen, Senior Staff Attorney at the ABA.
