Detention
From the abstract: “Disabled people are disproportionately incarcerated and segregated from society through a variety of institutions. Still, the links between disability and incarceration are underexplored, limiting understanding of how carceral institutions punish and contribute to the social exclusion of disabled people. Using data from the 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates, we estimated disability prevalence…
From the introduction: “The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the dangers of the juvenile legal system; this should make it harder to look away from the societal inequities that are exacerbated by youth incarceration. Indeed, the current moment, including the unprecedented nationwide protests in response to the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in…
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Social Costs of Pretrial Electronic Monitoring in San Francisco
This report features findings from in-depth interviews from 66 people who were court-ordered to electronic monitoring (EM) in San Francisco County, California. Highlighting the nature and difficulties program participants face while trying to comply with EM programs, the report demonstrates the harms of EM, including finding safe housing, securing employment, social isolation, trouble maintaining physical and emotional connections to loved ones, and increased likelihood of new contacts with law enforcement. From…
From the introduction: “Preventing, reducing, and improving interactions between autistic individuals and the criminal justice system are urgent research and policy priorities. Research should guide evidence-based programs and policies that limit unnecessary interactions between autistic individuals and the criminal justice system and address documented high rates of victimization among autistic individuals. A diverse team of…
From the abstract: “Roughly one in four juveniles arrested in the U.S. spend time in a detention center prior to their court date. To study the consequences of this practice for youth, we link the universe of individual public school records in Michigan to juvenile and adult criminal justice records. Using a combination of exact…
From the abstract: “Roughly one in four juveniles arrested in the U.S. spend time in a detention center prior to their court date. To study the consequences of this practice for youth, we link the universe of individual public school records in Michigan to juvenile and adult criminal justice records. Using a combination of exact…
On December 21, 2021, the DOJ released its investigation of the Connecticut Manson Youth Institution, finding that the conditions violate young people’s rights under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In its Investigation, the DOJ stated “specifically, we find that Manson’s isolation practices and inadequate mental health services seriously…
From the abstract: “This Article considers an approach to pretrial reform focused on improving the quality of defense counsel. In Philadelphia, a substantial fraction of people facing criminal charges are detained following rapid preliminary hearings where initial release conditions are set by bail magistrates operating with limited information. Beginning in 2017, the Defender Association of…
From the abstract: “The term wrongful conviction typically refers to the conviction or adjudication of individuals who are factually innocent. Decades of research has rightfully focused on uncovering contributing factors of convictions of factually innocent people to inform policy and practice. However, in this paper we expand our conceptualization of wrongful conviction. Specifically, we propose…
From the introduction: “This project, which started in fall 2020, was initially intended to be significantly smaller than it turned out to be. Our coalition of authors intended to outline ways juvenile defenders could streamline their representation of youth charged with sex offenses. As the project gained momentum, this team of trial attorneys, social workers,…
From the introduction: “This paper shares the story behind the successful launch of a specialized correctional unit for emerging adults by three of the people closest and most integral to the experience. It is offered as a guide for jurisdictions that are interested in developing similar programs. It is important to note that this report…
From the introduction: “This brief summarizes key findings from an unprecedented research study conducted by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center on the impact of juvenile justice system involvement—particularly probation— on school attendance in South Carolina and challenges jurisdictions across the country—as well as the broader field—to reconsider whether system involvement is the…
On September 14, 2020, the DOJ filed a statement of interest involving young people between the ages of 11 and 16 subject to “a broad range of unconstitutional conditions, including unsanitary and unsafe conditions, use of excessive force, overcrowding, lack of recreation and programming, inadequate health and mental health care, and inadequate educational services.” The…
From the introduction: “This brief presents the research case for eliminating the use of correctional confinement or detention in response to technical violations of juvenile probation.”
From the introduction: “Justice Policy Institute found that the average cost of the most expensive confinement option for a young person in 48 states was $588 per day, or $214,620 per year. The data show that in 40 states taxpayers spend at least $100,000 a year for a single young person’s confinement, and in 12…
This resource is part of the Youth Defender Advocacy Program (YDAP) curriculum, a specialized trial advocacy training program for youth defenders.
Advocates in Maryland created a series of short policy briefs to educate community members about pressing issues. You can see the others in this series here under “Sample Legislative Advocacy Briefs” on the Policy Page of the Racial Justice Toolkit.
On June 26, 2019, the DOJ closed its investigation of the Leflore County Juvenile Detention Center. In its closing letter, the DOJ stated “[w]e recognize that the state has made many improvements at the Detention Center School over the course of our involvement. . . . Specifically, the Detention Center School has made strides to…
