Juvenile Law Center

JOIN US: https://jlc.org/about/leadership-prize SUPPORT US: https://jlc.org/2021-leadership-prize-support

Make sure to read this powerful, informed and extremely relevant piece by Dr. Alexes Harris at Vox

Christina Sorensen, Esq. is a Soros Justice Fellow who has been tirelessly advocating for the well-being of youth. Here she is on the podcast "I have a Question" with Amanda Van Nostrand: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4vEqzkavXbW5L8SVMsm7sy Right now - we want to focus on honoring the work of the beautiful advocates in our communities while acknowledging the realities of harm to youth who are interacting with these systems each day; especially black and brown youth. Thi...s is a difficult and moving and beautiful and informative listen. Share with your networks and talk to each other about the beauty and power and healing of sharing our stories and taking collective action and the pain and harm our communities are experiencing. Visit our website to learn more about our work JLC.org and if you feel that you can support us, go to JLC.org/donate to allow us to respond when youth rights are threatened across the country.

Lots of work and care has gone into preparing for today's hearing for an independent Philadelphia youth ombudsperson for group placements. We know that the City of Philadelphia can do a better job keeping young people in these placements safe and are committed to fighting for that. Watch the hearing for an independent Philadelphia Youth Ombudsperson NOW at 1 pm on Chanel 64 or online: https://phlcouncil.com/watch-city-council/... Hear from our Youth Advocates and Follow @YouthFosteringChange and @JuvenilesforJustice on twitter for live conversation and updates.

LISTEN TO YOUNG PEOPLE READ OUR BLOG POST + YOUTH TESTIMONY: https://jlc.org/.../ombudsperson-resolution-hearing... SIGN THE SUPPORT LETTER HERE: https://docs.google.com/.../1VuNA4GUe8jc7q8p6.../viewform... RSVP & ATTEND THE HEARING: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSdx5nSeXDJycz.../viewform

READ OUR BLOG POST + YOUTH TESTIMONY: https://jlc.org//ombudsperson-resolution-hearing-support-a SIGN THE SUPPORT LETTER HERE: https://docs.google.com//1VuNA4GUe8jc7q8p6teroH4/viewform RSVP & ATTEND THE HEARING: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSdx5nSeXDJyczuRaO/viewform

Read our blog post about the upcoming hearing! and follow our blog to read moving testimonies from Youth Advocates. Hear their stories and try to understand the gravity of this upcoming hearing for youth across Philadelphia. https://jlc.org//ombudsperson-resolution-hearing-support-a

Check out this wonderful feature on our impressive Chief Legal Officer, Marsha Levick, Esq. "A staunch advocate for children’s and women’s rights, Marsha has launched legal challenges all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, where her work led to landmark decisions banning the juvenile death penalty and juvenile life without parole." https://pbstandards.org//marsha-levick-demand-a-seat-at-t/

TOMORROW // REGISTER NOW Juvenile Law Center Skadden Fellow Vic Weiner, Esq. will be hosting a training on the registration of youth as sex offenders in the United States. It will provide an overview of youth registration and explore the faulty premise used to justify youth registration, current research on adolescents who engage in sexually abusive behavior, and the catastrophic effects of registration on young people. The training is free and intended for professionals,... advocates, and community members. One social work CEUs is available for $10. Register at the following link: https://lnkd.in/dCz25pF

The killing of 8 people in the ATL spa shooting is a Hate Crime based in white supremacy. We vehemently condemn white supremacy & racism in all of its forms. Racism is at the foundation of the child welfare and justice systems and pervades every aspect of American life. We pay silent tribute to the lives lost in Atlanta and join in the demand to protect AAPI people and to relentlessly fight racism ... #StopAAPIHate #ProtectAsianWomen #PROTECTASIANLIVES

We are very excited about this year's Leadership Prize Winners! Professor Kristin Henning, CEO Sixto Cancel and the Kansas City Star Read more about them here: https://jlc.org/2021-leadership-prize-winners and SAVE THE DATE for the 2021 Leadership Prize Celebration

We are on a search for an Administrative Assistant! If you are looking to work for a non profit organization focused on the wellbeing of youth who interact with the child welfare or justice system/ If you're a Microsoft wiz who can help us run a well-oiled injustice fighting machine / If you are a stickler for details and organization maybe this is you! Apply on our website: https://jlc.org/careers This is a full-time position. We are all working remotely right now but are looking forward to returning to our office in Center City, Philadelphia when it is safe.

We’re proud to join @ChildrensRights calling to prioritize #FamiliesOverFacilities and end the harmful practice of institutionalizing children. The report highlights the cost of institutionalizing children: Profoundly negative impact on children’s social, emotional, and physical development... Black children are disproportionately investigated and removed from their homes Too often violates children’s civil rights Costs 10x more than supporting a child in a family Read their new report, Families Over Facilities: Ending the Use of Harmful and Unnecessary Institutions and Other Group Facilities in Child Welfare Systems: https://bit.ly/FamiliesOverFacilitiesCR

READ! Here's an opinion piece featured today in the Washington Post. We need to STOP CRIMINALIZING CHILDREN. Share you resources on the topic so we can all continue to educate ourselves on the importance of justice and care for kids! https://www.washingtonpost.com//children-distress-arent-/

JOIN THE MOVEMENT! Endorse the Youth Mandate for Education and liberation!Sign the petition! Visit www.youthmandate.com to learn more.

If you missed the second Youth Advocacy Program webinar with Juveniles for Justice and Youth Fostering Change, don't fret! You can watch it in full here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFcZD6wWx7I

Morning reading about our latest report. https://www.deseret.com//juvenile-justice-education-drexel

Please read this op-ed from our own Marsha Levick and Riya Shah about the threat the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett poses to children’s rights. https://www.penncapital-star.com//will-amy-coney-barrett-/

Great opportunity for older youth in foster care. https://thinkofus.typeform.com/to/TmcWJsIi

CW: abuse and institutional violence. This is a horrific story and underscores why we must continue to fight to abolish youth prisons. Our hearts go out to Maricella’s loved ones. https://www.jsonline.com//warnings-preceded-ma/3652861001/

ICYMI: Here's a link to our first Youth Advocates Lunch Webinar in which our youth advocates describe their 2020 advocacy projects and recommendations. Take a look! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v3eqY_FZUU

We stand with the 170 civil rights organizations calling on the Senate to do the right thing and #BlockBarrett. https://civilrights.org//oppose-the-confirmation-of-amy-c/

Fantastic podcast interview with our own Christina Sorenson on youth, the justice system and the foster care system from The Waiting Room podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com//the-waiting-room/id1525481904

These next 48 hours are crucial as we wait to see if Congress will grant COVID relief including to older youth in foster care who desperately need it. We urge the Senate to act and make sure they aren’t left behind! #upchafee #noagingout

"Today, about 700 people are still waiting for the resentencing opportunity they were promised in 2016. Another 1,450 have been given reduced sentences but remain incarcerated; some have become parole-eligible but have been denied parole. Others’ new sentences are so long, they will not be parole-eligible for decades. And so far, about 85 have had their life-without-parole sentences reaffirmed. Especially now, as Covid-19 is spreading rapidly in prisons, such differences can mean life or death." https://inthesetimes.com//sentenced-as-children-still-behi

CFYJ’s newest report is out: Winning the Campaign: State Trends in Fighting the Treatment of Children As Adults in the Criminal Justice System (2005-2020). Read it here: http://bit.ly/CFYJ_WinTheCampaign #WinTheCampaign #YJAM #CFYJStateTrends

Please join Juvenile Law Center, Southern Poverty Law Center and Education Law Center for a webinar on our newest report on academic credit transfer challenges for youth in the juvenile justice system! When: Oct 28, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Topic: Credit Overdue: How States Can Mitigate Academic Credit Transfer Problems for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System... Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wkJ-riNYRmuWGMEmI5DJ7g

We share this hope, and we urge lawmakers to pass COVID relief to include older youth in foster care while there is still time. #UpChafee https://www.washingtonpost.com//ffc4a28e-0e50-11eb-b1e8-16

Breaking: our youth advocates with Youth Fostering Change and Juveniles for Justice launches their 2019-2020 projects today, and we are grateful to The Philadelphia Inquirer for covering them. Huge congrats to our youth advocates and program staff fighting for visionary system reform! Take a look: https://www.inquirer.com//philadelphia-foster-care-mental-