Victory! 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

Historic Win: Michigan Supreme Court Stops People Convicted as Kids from Dying in Prison - ACLU of Michigan

The ACLU of Michigan, the ACLU, Juvenile Law Center, and civil rights attorney Deborah LaBelle applaud the Michigan Supreme Court’s decision that subjecting young people to excessively long prison sen...

aclumich.org

We'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.

Today 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.

While 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.

Clark County Juvenile Justice Services director placed on leave

Clark County Department of Juvenile Justice Services officials confirmed that Director John Munoz has been placed on leave in the midst of an investigation.

ktnv.com

"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 —

We 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.

In 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 American

The 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),

Congratulations 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! stoneleighfoundation.org/fellow/marsh...

Marsha Levick, Esq. - Stoneleigh Foundation

Marsha Levick will serve as the Stoneleigh Foundation’s inaugural Robert G. Schwartz Visiting Fellow. In this role, she will develop a new blueprint for a…

stoneleighfoundation.org

Reforming juvenile justice is a real Wyoming emergency wyofile.com/reforming-ju...

Reforming juvenile justice is a real Wyoming emergency - WyoFile

Will photo of hooded Boys’ School resident in restraint chair convince lawmakers to protect troubled youth, columnist Kerry Drake asks.

wyofile.com

We 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.

Happy 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: jlc.org/news/remembe...

Remembering Miller, Fighting Back | Juvenile Law Center

Ten years ago, the Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Miller v. Alabama. The Court held that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for children 17 or younger convicted of homicide were un...

jlc.org

Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth@thecfsy.bsky.social · last mo.

14 years ago today, SCOTUS ruled in Miller v. Alabama that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for children are unconstitutional, challenging a system that threw away children without ever asking who they were, what they’d been through, or who they could still become.

When 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.

Great 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. www.pahouse.com/InTheNews/Ne...

House approves legislation to establish processes for reinstating parental rights, protect the rights of incarcerated parents

HARRISBURG, June 22 – Today, the House voted with strong bipartisan support to pass two bills introduced by state Rep. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., that would establish a legal petition process to reinst...

pahouse.com

Curfews for children and tough-on-crime approaches don't make communities safer. What does work? Investment in communities. Programming. Access to supportive, caring adults.

D.C. Mayor Candidates Are Fixating on Teen Hangouts — and Turning the Cops on Them

Kenyan McDuffie says D.C. needs teen curfews. Janeese Lewis George argues that’s playing into the Trump administration’s hand.

theintercept.com

Juvenile 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.

Harsh 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. penncapital-star.com/2026/06/09/r...

Critics warn of years in prison for young adults under carjacking bill before Congress • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

People younger than 25 make up most of the carjackers, causing advocates to argue that a lower threshold for proving carjackings could result in many young adults, especially Black men, spending decad...

penncapital-star.com

June 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.

Great night out yesterday with our staff and friends to see the Phillies soar to victory!

This 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.

We’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!

Our CEO @riyasahashah.bsky.social will be moderating this panel today. Join if you are interested! Register in advance for this webinar: americanbar.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Looking 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

In 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. imprintnews.org/justice/juve...

New Maryland Law Will Keep Minors Out of Adult Courts and Prisons

Under the newly signed Youth Charging Reform Act, children under age 16 will not be automatically charged in adult court, except in the most serious cases.

imprintnews.org

Philly! We are fighting for a world in which children are free. We stand with Philly Voice for Change in bringing this beautiful event to raise awareness and build community by calling out the harm of the family policing system. Show up to honor Juneteenth and Stolen Children’s Month.

Our colleagues at the Sentencing Project have just published a powerful report making clear that sending youth to adult courts is dangerous and wrong – and it also doesn’t increase public safety. www.sentencingproject.org/app/uploads/...

Time is stolen from people who are locked away. In this op ed, hear reflections on what time on the inside meant – and how, definitively, it was not “the best thing that happened’ to the author. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/27/o...

Opinion | Befriending Time Changed My Life

nytimes.com

Mandated reporting – legally requiring people families should be able to rely on for support, such as teachers, doctors, and social service providers to confidentially and anonymously report suspected child abuse, neglect, or maltreatment to authorities yields a disproportionate number

Philadelphia, we won! The ballot measure to make the Office of the Youth Ombudsperson permanent has passed. Learn more: jlc.org/news/philade...

Stand up and be heard for youth rights. Vote YES on ballot question 2 to make Philadelphia's Office of the Youth Ombudsperson permanent! Polls close at 8:00PM!