Category: News
Governor Brown Signs Landmark Bill Restricting Room Confinement for Children
After a four year journey through the California Legislature, a bill significantly restricting the use of locked room confinement in juvenile facilities was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown on September 27, 2016. …
PJDC Board Member Roger Chan Appointed to Superior Court of San Francisco
Roger Chan, PJDC board member and Executive Director of the East Bay Children’s Law Offices, was appointed on June 28, 2016 by Governor Brown to the Superior Court of San Francisco. …
Marshall Project Highlights Work to “Ban the Other Box”
The Marshall Project featured an article on June 16, 2016 on youth advocates’ efforts to get colleges to stop using school disciplinary records in the admissions process. …
Sacramento Bee Op-Ed Highlights PJDC Bill To Limit Solitary Confinement of Juveniles
The Sacramento Bee’s editorial section highlighted the broad coalition of supporters of Senate Bill 1143, which would greatly limit the use of solitary confinement of juveniles in California’s juvenile halls. …
Oregon Supreme Court Scrutinizes Statutory Juvenile Transfer Statute
State v. J.C.N.-V., 359 Or 559 (2016) involves a 13-year-old child who was tried as an adult for murder committed with a 20-year-old primary perpetrator, and sentenced to a 30-year minimum sentence. The Oregon Supreme Court held that the trial court had applied the incorrect legal standard for a transfer and remanded the case …
LA County Supervisors Severely Restrict Solitary Confinement of Juveniles
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion on May 3, 2016 to sharply limit solitary confinement of juveniles in county facilities. PJDC wrote a letter supporting the motion, speaking of the harm of locked room confinement, even when it is used to “protect” youth at risk of suicide and other vulnerable youth. …
PJDC Leaders To Appear on Radio Forum on Juvenile Justice Reform
KALW Radio’s City Visions show on April 18, 2016 will feature the reform of the California juvenile justice system and the state of juvenile defense, more than 50 years after In re Gault. …
Probation Chiefs and Youth Advocates Partner on Legislation to Address Room Confinement in Juvenile Facilities
Sacramento, CA – The Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC) and youth advocates announced today that they have joined forces to co-sponsor landmark legislation limiting the use of room confinement for youth in California’s juvenile facilities. As amended this week, Senate Bill 1143 represents a critical breakthrough and unique partnership between CPOC and juvenile justice …
PJDC Applauds Governor’s Support for Ballot Initiative Ending Direct File of Juveniles in Adult Court
On January 27, 2016, Governor Jerry Brown announced his support for the “Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016,” a ballot initiative for the November 2016 election. The measure requires judges rather than prosecutors to decide whether juveniles as young as 14 years of age should be tried as adults, and provides a …
PJDC’s Own Sue Burrell Receives a Loren Warboys Unsung Hero Award
On December 7, 2015, Youth Law Center awarded Sue Burrell the distinguished Loren Warboys Unsung Hero award in recognition of the unremittingly positive change she has brought to the lives of countless children throughout California and the United States. During Sue Burrell’s career at the Youth Law Center, her powerful advocacy has transformed the juvenile …