On Wednesday, New York City moved its juvenile justice department under the purview of its child welfare agency. The New York Times reports that the decision is expected to improve the provision of therapeutic services and thus reduce juvenile detention: “Under the new arrangement, youths who commit… Read more
A recent Sacramento Bee op-ed by Michelle Alexander challenges Governor Schwarzenegger to treat prison reform not simply as a quick buck for the budget, but rather as a matter of racial justice. She calls on the Governor to address the policies and practices that have led to… Read more
The New York Times published an editorial today (“12 and In Prison”) challenging the practice of sentencing children as young as twelve in adult court. Referring to Justice Kennedy’s 2005 majority opinion that children are ineligible for sentences of death, the editorial praises the Supreme… Read more
The average family travels three hours each way to get to the Preston Youth Correctional Facility. It took us two hours from our office in Oakland. When we arrived, Jennifer and I were treated to what has become a typical experience for families visiting Preston—an exhaustive (and intimidating) search of… Read more