Nonprofit, nonpartisan law firm advocating nationally for rights, dignity, equity and opportunity for youth in the child welfare and justice systems. Learn more at www.jlc.org and https://linktr.ee/juvenilelawcenterhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mtlqv5sy4c25Yesterday, Youth Today published an interview with Brit Christopher, our Stoneleigh Youth Advocacy Fellow, on her work on the No Kids in Prison magazine. https://youthtoday.org/2026/08/qa-brit-christopher-gabriel-arika-youth-prisons-dont-work-youth-led-magazine-building-movement/21 Aug 2026 12:24 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtlqv5sy4c25https://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mtcextbo3222There is still time to register for our Youth Justice Book Club! Juvenile Law Center will be joined by award-winning author Tananarive Due to discuss her book, The Reformatory. https://give.jlc.org/event/youth-justice-book-club-the-reformatory-by-tananarive-due/e82664517 Aug 2026 18:56 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtcextbo3222https://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3msyec3couc2bBetween 2005-2016, the United States Supreme Court issued four groundbreaking decisions (Roper v. Simmons, Graham v. Florida, Miller v. Alabama, and Montgomery v. Louisiana) drastically altering sentencing practices for youth and confirming that youth are developmentally different from adults.13 Aug 2026 19:18 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3msyec3couc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mst6bic7x22xOur Youth Justice Book Club is back! Join us Sept. 10th at 7pm ET / 4 pm PT for a virtual conversation with Tananarive Due, author of The Reformatory.11 Aug 2026 17:47 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mst6bic7x22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mssxyslqpc2qAdvocates are increasingly concerned about harm connected to GPS monitoring of children. Our CEO recently moderated a panel on this topic for the American Bar Association. Check out this article from our summer legal intern Cierra De La Garza to learn more: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/litigation/resources/newsletters/childrens-rights/five-key-takeaways-tracking-youth/11 Aug 2026 15:54 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mssxyslqpc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3msgjcfkmjc2iThe United States is one of only very few countries in the world to condemn children to die in prison through life without parole and other extreme sentences. These sentences perpetuate racist policies of mass incarceration as Black and Brown youth disproportionately face these sentences.06 Aug 2026 16:59 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3msgjcfkmjc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mrxogprnzc2qVictory! We joined forces with advocates to support James Gregory Eads, a Michigan man who was sentenced to 50 to 75 years in prison for a crime committed when he was 16 years old. In our amicus brief, we argued that https://www.aclumich.org/press-releases/historic-win-michigan-supreme-court-stops-people-convicted-as-kids-from-dying-in-prison/31 Jul 2026 19:21 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrxogprnzc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mrwzzj5xp22fWe've been so fortunate to have excellent summer interns! Meet our legal interns Caroline, Cierra and Ryan and our undergraduate interns Ini, Kausar and Flematu. We are eager to see where their careers take them.31 Jul 2026 13:16 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrwzzj5xp22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mrsqrai6f22sToday our staff met with Simon Melin, a Swedish reporter covering the country’s recent shift in laws that seek to charge more children criminally and expose them to harsher punishments and confinement.29 Jul 2026 20:20 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrsqrai6f22shttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mr6tw2gopk26While this story covers a recent lawsuit alleging sexual and physical abuse and a culture of negligence in Nevada, we know from our 50 years of experience that this is a feature and not a bug. https://www.ktnv.com/news/clark-county-juvenile-justice-services-director-placed-on-leave21 Jul 2026 22:23 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr6tw2gopk26https://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mr4o3d2y222l"Last month, Mississippi lawmakers introduced legislation to require children charged with an offense involving a firearm or gun possession to be automatically tried in the adult criminal court. This wrongheaded response seeks to criminalize children — primarily Black and Brown children —21 Jul 2026 01:33 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr4o3d2y222lhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mqrvlswjmc25We believe that children have a right to be in court for their own dependency hearings. That’s why we filed an amicus brief this month supporting a child’s right to be a part of the hearings determining whether she would be allowed to stay with a family member or be removed from her home.16 Jul 2026 18:48 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqrvlswjmc25https://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mqab2tnnwc27In 2007, we received a frantic call from an alarmed parent which led us to investigate irregularities in Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County juvenile court. We discovered that hundreds of children routinely appeared before Judge Mark Ciavarella without counsel in the largest judicial scandal in American09 Jul 2026 18:26 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqab2tnnwc27https://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mq5vxyo3sk2pThe U.S. Constitution guarantees youth a right to counsel in delinquency proceeding in the juvenile justice system. There is no equivalent right to counsel in dependency hearings (in the child welfare system),08 Jul 2026 20:02 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq5vxyo3sk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mq33r7qmz22mCongratulations to Marsha Levick for her appointment as the inaugural Robert G. Schwartz Visiting Fellow through Stoneleigh Foundation (named in honor of our co-founder Bob Schwartz). We cannot wait to see the excellent work she creates in this role! https://stoneleighfoundation.org/fellow/marsha-levick-esq/07 Jul 2026 17:07 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq33r7qmz22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mpjlgz3z2s2xReforming juvenile justice is a real Wyoming emergency https://wyofile.com/reforming-juvenile-justice-is-a-real-wyoming-emergency/30 Jun 2026 18:00 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpjlgz3z2s2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mp4whftbyk2tWe are happy to celebrate 20 years of our phenomenal Director of Development Rosie McNamara-Jones at Juvenile Law Center! Rosie helps people connect to the heart of our work in the fight for young people’s futures.25 Jun 2026 17:13 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp4whftbyk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mp4volux2s2uHappy anniversary, Miller decision! The fight to treat kids and kids, out of prisons and in their homes and communities remains. Throwback to a blog on the topic of Miller: https://jlc.org/news/remembering-miller-fighting-back [contains quote post or other embedded content]25 Jun 2026 16:59 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp4volux2s2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mp2i6kgh522vWhen children are pulled into youth prisons, they are stolen from their families. Children need to remain in their homes and communities; services provided in the community are more effective and more cost-efficient than those provided in institutions.24 Jun 2026 17:52 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mp2i6kgh522vhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3moxv675xf22qGreat news out of Harrisburg! This bill helps provide a pathway to families for the restoration of terminated parental rights. We know the deep harm the family regulation system causes when it tears families apart. https://www.pahouse.com/InTheNews/NewsRelease/?id=14414223 Jun 2026 17:06 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3moxv675xf22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3moeaub375c2rCurfews for children and tough-on-crime approaches don't make communities safer. What does work? Investment in communities. Programming. Access to supportive, caring adults. https://theintercept.com/2026/06/12/dc-mayor-teen-curfew-kenyan-mcduffie-janeese-lewis-george/15 Jun 2026 21:42 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3moeaub375c2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mnx7idfa3c2vJuvenile Law Center staff and our Stoneleigh Youth Advocacy Fellows were in Harrisburg yesterday advocating for juvenile legal system reform including SB1266, a bipartisan bill ending fees and fines in the juvenile legal system.10 Jun 2026 17:13 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnx7idfa3c2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mnww2efjqc2sHarsh responses to youth crime do not work. “These tough on crime, really extreme sentencing schema don’t really work, and they only end up incarcerating more youth and perpetuating racial disparities.” - Malik Pickett, Senior Attorney. https://penncapital-star.com/2026/06/09/repub/critics-warn-of-years-in-prison-for-young-adults-under-carjacking-bill-before-congress/10 Jun 2026 14:24 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnww2efjqc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mnry2oszsc2cJune is Stolen Children’s Month. We join partners nationwide in calling for an end to state-sponsored stealing of children, whether through the juvenile legal system, the family policing system, or immigration detention.08 Jun 2026 15:17 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnry2oszsc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mnitcsfpp22sGreat night out yesterday with our staff and friends to see the Phillies soar to victory!04 Jun 2026 23:58 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnitcsfpp22shttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mnih7vty722wThis month, we join our colleagues working to abolish family policing in declaring June 2026 the second annual Stolen Children’s Month. Ashley Albert declared the first Stolen Children’s Month last year.04 Jun 2026 20:21 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnih7vty722whttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mnfv2yikxk2hWe’re celebrating Jessica Feierman’s 20 years at Juvenile Law Center today! Our Chief Legal Officer brings vision, passion and empathy to her fight for youth rights. From her legal acumen to her community focus, she is a stellar and unique advocate for children. Thanks for all your work, Jessica!03 Jun 2026 19:51 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnfv2yikxk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mncvsdffac2qOur CEO @riyasahashah.bsky.social will be moderating this panel today. Join if you are interested! Register in advance for this webinar: https://americanbar.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_O1z5uhZFRmGbZuIwIJwtBQ02 Jun 2026 15:26 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mncvsdffac2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mmyufwcvdc2pLooking for a summer internship? Juvenile Law Center is bringing on both a Communications and a Development intern for this summer! Apply today: jlc.org/careers https://jlc.org/careers29 May 2026 15:35 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmyufwcvdc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/juvenilelawcenter.bsky.social/post/3mmwlikzvgk2aIn an era where far too many states are moving backward when it comes to children, it's nice to see a state taking a proactive step forward. Children should not be tried as adults, period. Congrats to the advocates, youth and families who fought hard for this win. https://imprintnews.org/justice/juvenile-justice-2/maryland-law-wil-keep-minors-out-of-adult-courts-prisons/27495728 May 2026 17:50 +0000at://did:plc:gsymxheetxsnpple3xplwhpy/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmwlikzvgk2a