Children and the Law Posts
Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice Holds Teleconference Hearing on Juvenile Justice
President Trump’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice held a hearing on juvenile justice over three days (May 5 to 7) via teleconference.
Law360 Article on Defining SCOTUS Juvenile Justice Cases
The article “Justices Put Juvenile Sentencing Back On The Front Burner” from Law360 discusses the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case Jones v. Mississippi.
Law360 Article Reviews Juvenile Justice System in PA
An article for Law360 Access to Justice entitled “Wanted In Pennsylvania: A Fairer Justice System For Minors” examines Pennsylvania’s current juvenile justice system practices and the state’s plans for review and reform.
Juvenile or Adult? California Bill Would Raise Age for Prosecution from 18 to 20
A California lawmaker argues that 18- and 19-year-olds aren’t mature enough to do prison time if they break the law, and so she has submitted a bill that would treat them like juveniles.
January 2020 Council Meeting Updates
At its meeting in Philadelphia on January 16 and 17, the ALI Council reviewed drafts for ten projects.
The Hidden, Human Costs of Justice
A new study (conducted by Leslie Paik and Chiara Packard at the request of Juvenile Law Center) takes a deep look at Dane County, Wisconsin, and helps to explain why juvenile court costs are so problematic and so likely to increase, rather than decrease, recidivism.
Conceptualizing Legal Childhood in the Twenty-First Century
The law governing children is complex, sometimes appearing almost incoherent. The relatively simple framework established in the Progressive era, in which parents had primary authority over children, subject to limited state oversight, has broken down over the past few decades.
October 2019 Council Updates
During its meeting in New York City on October 17 and 18, the ALI Council reviewed drafts for seven Institute projects. Drafts or portions of drafts for six projects received Council approval, subject to the meeting discussion and to the usual prerogative to make nonsubstantive editorial improvements.
San Francisco Joins National Push to Abolish Youth Prisons
It’s happening in Minneapolis. New Jersey. Arkansas. Upstate New York. Durango, Colorado. One by one, juvenile prisons are closing, or are slated to close, in response to child abuse reports, sustained pressure from activists and a halving of national juvenile confinement rates since 2002.
Invisible Stripes: The Problem of Youth Criminal Records
It is common knowledge in American society that persons who have criminal records will have a more difficult path to obtaining legitimate employment. Similarly, conventional wisdom acknowledges the unfortunate fact that young people, on average, are more prone to engage in risky, impulsive, and other ill-advised behavior that might result in brushes with law enforcement authorities.