I. Keep children and youth out of the justice system.
Whenever possible, keep children and youth out of the juvenile and criminal justice systems by addressing their needs and those of their families early and effectively.
II. Ensure equity and competence.
Do everything possible to ensure equity and competence with regard to race, ethnicity, culture, language, gender and sexual orientation, identity and expression, in legal representation before the courts and throughout all system practices and policies.
III. Ensure responses appropriate to a young person’s age and stage of development.
Do everything possible to ensure that children and youth in the justice system are treated in an age-appropriate manner and provided with developmentally appropriate, evidenced-based services and supports. Ensure, when needed, that sanctions are appropriate to a youth’s age and offense.
IV. Strengthen the federal partnership with state, local and tribal governments.
Strengthen the federal role in supporting state, local and tribal needs by providing sufficient resources and appropriations for jurisdictions to effectively implement the JJDPA, to fully comply with its core requirements/protections and to ensure state and local adherence to high standards of performance.
We, the undersigned organizations and leaders, seek the support of Congress to see the aforementioned principles are assured in the Reauthorization of the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA):
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
International CURE
Just Detention International
The Board of the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
World Vision
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
African Caribbean American Parents of Children With Disabilities
Afterschool Alliance
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Civil Liberties Union
American Correctional Association
American Probation and Parole Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
Asian Law Caucus
ATTIC Correctional Services
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Campaign for Youth Justice
Center for Children’s Law and Policy
Center for Juvenile Justice Reform and Systems Integration, Georgetown University
Center for Public Representation
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Children's Defense Fund
Coalition for Juvenile Justice
Community Action Partnership
Correctional Education Association
Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD)
Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators
Covenant House
Equity Project
Forum for Youth Investment
Futures Without Violence
Gay-Straight Alliance Network
Generations United
Girls Inc.
Girls Circle Association
Human Rights Project for Girls
Justice Policy Institute
Juvenile Justice Trainers Association
Juvenile Law Center
Learning Disabilities Association of America
Legal Action Center
Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office
Mental Health America
NAACP
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Association for Children of Alcoholics
National Association of Counties
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
National Association of Home Builders
National Association of Juvenile Correctional Agencies
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of Youth Courts
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice
National Center for Youth Law
National Collaboration for Youth
National Council for Behavioral Health
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
National Council of La Raza
National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)
National Human Services Assembly
National Juvenile Justice Network
National Network for Youth
National PTA
National Partnership for Juvenile Services
National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives
National Urban League
Robert F. Kennedy Juvenile Justice Collaborative
Robert F. Kennedy Children's Action Corps
School Social Work Association of America
Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)
Southern Poverty Law Center
Spark Action
Strategies for Youth, Inc.
The Campaign for Fair Sentencing of Youth
The National Crittenton Foundation
The Peace Alliance
The Sentencing Project
The Student Peace Alliance
Rights4Girls
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
W. Haywood Burns Institute
Women Against Registry
Women of Reform Judaism
Youth Law Center
STATE AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS:
Alabama:
Alabama Youth Justice Coalition
Children First Foundation
Jefferson County Family Court
The Children's Policy Council of Jefferson County, Alabama
Alaska:
Alaska PTA
Juneau Youth Services
Arizona:
Children's Action Alliance
Arkansas:
Arkansas Coalition for Juvenile Justice
Disability Rights Center of Arkansas
California:
A World Fit For Kids!
Alliance for Youth and Community Justice
Center for Juvenile Law and Policy, Loyola Law School
Ella Baker Center Mothers for Justice Para Los Niños
Connecticut:
African Caribbean American Parents of Children with Disabilities, Inc (AFCAMP)
Center for Children's Advocacy, University of Connecticut School of Law
COMPASS Youth Collaborative
Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance
Connecticut PTA
Connecticut Voices for Children
FAVOR, Inc.
Healing Hearts Youth Services, LLC
Norwalk Community College Criminal Justice Program
Office of the Child Advocate, State of Connecticut
Delaware:
Community Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Delaware Center for Justice
Delaware Collaboration for Youth
District of Columbia:
Justice 4 DC Youth! Coalition
Latin American Youth Center
Florida:
Children’s Campaign, Inc.
Law Offices of Public Defender Carlos J. Martinez, 11th Judicial Circuit
Redlands Christian Migrant Association
Youth and Family Alternatives, Inc.
Georgia:
Georgia Safe Schools Coalition
Georgia PTA
Idaho:
Idaho Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
Idaho Parent Teacher Association
Illinois:
Child Care Association of Illinois
Children's Home Association of Illinois
Illinois Parent Teacher Association
John Howard Association of Illinois
Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana
Southwest Youth Collaborative
Uhlich Children's Advantage Network (UCAN)
Indiana:
Indiana Youth Group
Leadership & Renewal Outfitters
Children's Policy and Law Initiative of Indiana
Iowa:
Iowa Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
Kentucky:
Christian County Juvenile Court
Christian County Juvenile Drug Court
Christian County Youth Equality Coalition
Kentucky Youth Advocates
Kentucky Protection & Advocacy
Louisiana:
Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children (FFLIC)
Maine:
Maine Children's Alliance
Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group (JJAG)—The Maine State Advisory Group
Youth Alternatives
Maryland:
The Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland, Baltimore
Massachusetts:
Adolescent Consultation Services
Center For Family Connections
Children's Law Center of Massachusetts, Inc.
Children's League of Massachusetts, Inc.
Citizens for Juvenile Justice
Communities for People
Criminal Justice Institute, Harvard Law School
Disability Law Center, Inc.
Doc Wayne Athletic League
Juvenile Justice Clinic of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law
Youth Advocacy Department of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (Name Change) Youth Opportunities Upheld ( YOU ) Inc
Michigan:
Advocacy, Re-entry, Resources & Outreach (ARRO)
Michigan Collaborative on Juvenile Justice
Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency
Michigan's Children
Minnesota:
Juvenile Justice Coalition of Minnesota
Minnesota Council of Child Caring Agencies
Minnesota Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee
Missouri:
Missouri Juvenile Justice Association
Missouri Parent Teacher Association
Youth In Need
Montana:
Disability Rights Montana
New Hampshire:
Child and Family Services of New Hampshire
New Jersey:
New Jersey Alliance for Children, Youth and Families
Northeast Juvenile Defender Center
New Mexico:
Hands Across Cultures
New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department/State Juvenile Justice Advisory Group
New Mexico Council on Crime and Delinquency
New York:
Grassroots Artists MovEment (G.A.ME)
Youth Represent
The L.I.F.E. Program for Young Women
Children's Studies Center for Research, Policy and Public Service at Brooklyn College, The City University of New York
North Carolina:
Action for Children North Carolina Independent Living Resources Juvenile Justice Coalition (Ohio)
LGBT Center of Raleigh
National Association of Social Workers- NC Chapter
North Dakota:
Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota
Ohio:
Children's Defense Fund of Ohio
CONNECTIONS
Health Wellness Advocacy
Franklin County Public Defender Office
Juvenile Justice Coalition of Ohio
Law Office of the Montgomery County, Ohio Public Defender
Office of the Ohio Public Defender
Public Children Services Association of Ohio
Voices for Ohio's Children
Oregon:
Partnership for Safety and Justice
Pennsylvania:
Community Commitment Inc.
Juvenile Detention Centers’ Association of PA
Rhode Island:
Tides Family Services
Youth Pride, Inc.
South Carolina:
Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health of SC
Tennessee:
Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY)— The Tennessee State Advisory Group
Texas:
Children at Risk
Tejano Center for Community Concerns
Texans Care For Children
Disability Rights Texas
Utah:
Disability Law Center
Layton Youth Court
Salt Lake County Commission on Youth (COY)
Utah Pride Center
Vermont:
Community Justice Network of Vermont
Vermont Association of Court Diversion Programs
Vermont Protection & Advocacy, Inc.
Virginia:
Children’s Law Center at the University of Richmond School of Law
Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants-Virginia, Inc. (Virginia Cure)
Families & Allies of Virginia's Youth (FAVY)
JustChildren Program of the Legal Aid Justice Center
Voices for Virginia's Children
Washington:
Children's Home Society of WA
Partners with Families & Children: Spokane Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Washington Defender Association
Washington State PTA
West Virginia:
Byrne, Hedges & Lyons
Wisconsin:
Wisconsin Council on Children and Families
Wyoming:
UPLIFT, Wyoming’s Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
Last updated: July 9, 2014