Center for Juvenile Law & Policy Receives Grant for Juvenile Innocence Project

Congratulations to PJDC Members Cyn Yamashiro and Maureen Pacheco, and their colleagues at Loyola Law School’s Center for Juvenile Law & Policy, on receiving  $1 million in funding from the Kalmanovitz Charitable Foundation to develop the first west coast Juvenile Innocence and Fair Sentencing Project.   The Project will identify and litigate on behalf of wrongfully convicted youthful offenders and those sentenced to disproportionately long sentences.  Beyond litigation, an additional goal of the project will be to establish a public outreach and research component dedicated to sharing timely and credible information with policy makers and stakeholders surrounding this most important issue.  

This work has been inspired by Center for Juvenile Law & Policy Advisory Board member Sister Janet Harris, whose tireless efforts on behalf of imprisoned youth in Los Angeles helped to demonstrate the need for this work.  The Juvenile Innocence and Fair Sentencing Project Project will be the first organization in California leading a comprehensive effort to remedy wrongful juvenile convictions and to advocate for fair sentencing for youth.   Further information about the Project is available from the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy.