In response to concerns about the effectiveness and fairness of the practices and procedures currently used in the country’s juvenile criminal justice system, state legislatures across the nation are considering major reforms. One of the states that is leading the charge is Illinois, where legislators recently passed a series of important amendments aimed at protecting…
Decades of research have revealed that stable and consistent relationships between minors and parents, teachers, and community members can help protect teens from violence and crime. Despite this evidence, the juvenile justice system continues to funnel teenagers who commit minor infractions at school to non-local detention facilities far from loved ones and support systems. Acknowledging…
In 2013, the Georgia Legislature passed a series of laws aimed at reforming the juvenile justice system. The reforms have proven successful, but in large part have been underfunded. A recent budget proposal made by Governor Deal would allow for immediate funding and the expansion of juvenile diversion programs that could make all the…
In June, Representative Rosa DeLauro introduced a new bill, entitled “Improving the Juvenile Justice System for Girls Act of 2016.” The law aims to decrease the number of girls who experience trauma while incarcerated by authorizing grants for the implementation of gender-responsive services in the juvenile justice system. The bill is currently before the House…
Over the past few months, Georgia lawmakers have made great strides in their quest to achieve comprehensive reform of the juvenile criminal justice system. As part of this trend, Governor Nathan Deal signed Senate Bill 367 into law. The bill, which was based primarily on recommendations made by the Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform,…
Due to escalating concern over the recent surge of complaints regarding incidents of civil rights violations, including unnecessary and excessive punishment of students, the U.S. Education Department published a series of new guidelines directing school officials on how and when they should incorporate law enforcement officers into discipline decisions. The aim of the new guidelines…
In states all across the country, including Georgia, adolescents 17 years of age and older who commit crimes are treated as adults. Over the past 10 years, legislators and advocates attempting to lower recidivism and eliminate the school-to-prison pipeline have argued that the age of criminal responsibility for juveniles should be raised to at least 18…