Addressing critical issues in youth defense
The juvenile legal system is inexorably complex, and young people’s rights and liberty are threatened in countless ways when they are drawn into it. The Gault Center is committed to supporting youth defenders and advocates as they work to reform laws and practices that ensnare young people in the legal system, deprive them of their rights, and disrupt their lives.
Through systemic reform, the Gault Center seeks to eliminate the harmful impacts of the legal system on children, families, and communities; decriminalize adolescence, particularly for Black, Latino/a, and Native/Indigenous youth; and ensure the constitutional protection of counsel for all young people.
