COVID-19 Resources

 


PJDC’s Letters to the California Supreme Court Regarding COVID-19 Guidance for Delinquency Cases

During Spring 2020, PJDC and advocates from Human Rights Watch and the National Center for Lesbian Rights urged the Judicial Council of California to take action to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 in the delinquency system.  In a series of letters to the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, they called for emergency court rules that would provide a systematic way for releasing detained youth from juvenile facilities, and offered the protocol developed by PJDC for that purpose.  They also called for earlier appointment of counsel and a shortening of timelines for delinquency cases.  Links to each of the four letters are provided below.

1. Letter to Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye from Ji Seon Song, President and Sue Burrell, Policy Director, Pacific Juvenile Defender Center, Request for COVID-19 Guidance for Delinquency Proceedings (April 4, 2020)

2. Letter to Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye from Sue Burrell, Policy Director, Pacific Juvenile Defender Center, Follow Up Request for COVID-19 Guidance in Delinquency Cases (April 7, 2020)

3. Letter to Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye from Sue Burrell, Policy Director, and Ji Seon Song, President, Pacific Juvenile Defender Center, Elizabeth Calvin, Senior Advocate, Children’s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch, Second Follow Up Request for Covid-19 Guidance in Delinquency  Cases (April 22, 2020)

4.  Letter to Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye from Sue Burrell, Policy Director and Ji Seon Song, President, Pacific Juvenile Defender Center, Elizabeth Calvin, Senior Advocate, Children’s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch, Shannan Wilber, Youth Policy Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights, Follow Up Request for Covid-19 Guidance in Delinquency Cases: Proposed Model Protocol  (May 7, 2020)


Available for Download: Model Covid-19 Population Reduction Protocol for Secure Juvenile Facilities

Pacific Juvenile Defender Center, Human Rights Watch and National Center for Lesbian Rights have developed a model protocol for counties to reduce youth populations in their secure juvenile facilities during the Covid-19 Pandemic.  It provides guidance for intake and release, and proposes an interagency process for decision making.  To download your own copy, click on this link.

 


Information For Families With Children Confined in Juvenile Hall or County Camps During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Health experts warn that congregate settings place all people at substantial risk of illness and death, and declare that reducing the number of people housed in detention facilities immediately is critically necessary for the health and safety of those facilities and our communities. Children confined in juvenile halls and camps in California are also at great risk and must be evaluated for release. There are things families and relatives of children in halls and camps can do:

  • Call and ask your child’s attorney to consider filing a Welfare and Institutions Code section 778 petition in juvenile court to get your child released. A section 778 petition asks the juvenile court to change a commitment order because there are changed circumstances. With a section 778 petition, your attorney can argue that the continued confinement of your child in a juvenile hall or camp places the child at serious risk of physical, psychological, and emotional harm because of the current pandemic. Because your child’s continued confinement makes it significantly more likely that the child will contract the COVID-19 virus and become gravely ill, and/or spread it to someone else, this constitutes a significant change of circumstance justifying modification of the court’s order. Another change of circumstance may involve services your child was supposed to be given and is not receiving in the current crisis. Your attorney can argue that your child can be safely released to you, another family member, or relative, on probation with appropriate conditions. You can help your child’s attorney by providing critical information. For example, health information: if your child suffers from asthma or another respiratory problem, the attorney will need this information for the petition to argue that the child is particularly vulnerable to infection. Release plan: your attorney will need your assistance creating a plan that convinces the judge that your child can be released to a place where the child and the public will be safe. Tell your child’s attorney that a template motion with exhibits is available on the Pacific Juvenile Defender Website, along with a list of attorneys who can help answer questions.
  • If your child’s attorney does not respond to your call within a reasonable time, you can prepare and file a section 778 petition yourself. You can download the WIC 778 Interested Party Template Petition, fill it out, attach the exhibits, and file it in the juvenile court.

WIC 778 INTERESTED PARTY TEMPLATE PETITION

Exhibits for both petitions: “EXHIBIT 1” / “EXHIBIT 2” / “EXHIBIT 3”]

  • Another option is to write a letter to the presiding judge for the juvenile court in your county. That judge has the duty to inspect juvenile facilities in the county at least once a year and if the judge finds that a facility does not meet state standards, that must be reported to the head of the facility and to the Board of State and Community Corrections. Here is a template for writing a letter saying that your child has reported experiencing conditions that do not meet state standards, and asking that the judge use his/her power both to report the violations and also to use his/her power to release your child.

TEMPLATE FOR FAMILIES TO USE IN SENDING LETTER TO PRESIDING JUDGE ON COVID-19

3-30-20 BSCC GUIDANCE ON JUVENILE FACILITIES

  • Another option is to write a letter to the probation officer asking for release of the child pursuant to the California Department of Justice April 14, 2020, No. 2020-DLE-05 Information Bulletin: “COVID-19 and Statutory Authority Under Government Code Section 8658.” A template letter, below, explains how to do that and what kind of information you might want to include.  Be sure to attach a copy of the “2020-DLE-05 Information Bulletin” and the “3-30-20 BSCC Guidance on Juvenile Facilities” appearing immediately above.

TEMPLATE FOR FAMILIES TO USE IN LETTER TO PROBATION REQUESTING COVID-19 RELEASE

2020-DLE-05 INFORMATION BULLETIN

If you would like support in preparing information, such as a re-entry plan, for Step #1, or filling out the template if the lawyer does not respond (Step #2) or filling out and sending the letter to the presiding judge (Step #3), participatory defense hubs from across California can assist. They can be reached at info@siliconvalleydebug.org, and you will be directed to the hub closest to your residence.

 


Información Para Familias Con Jóvenes Confinados En Juvenile Hall O En Campamentos Del Condado Durante La Pandemia

Los expertos en salud advierten que los lugares congregados colocan a todas las personas en un riesgo sustancial de enfermedad y muerte, y declaran que reducir inmediatamente la cantidad de personas alojadas en los centros de detención es críticamente necesario para la salud y la seguridad de estos lugares y de nuestras comunidades. Los jóvenes confinados en detención juvenil y campamentos juveniles en California también corren un gran riesgo y deben ser evaluados para su liberación. Hay cosas que las familias y los familiares de los jóvenes en las detenciones juvenil y campamentos pueden hacer:

  • Llame y solicite al abogado de su hijo/a que considere presentar una petición de la sección 778 del Código de Bienestar e Instituciones en el tribunal de menores para liberar a su hijo. Una sección de 778 pide al tribunal de menores que cambie una orden de compromiso porque hay circunstancias que han cambiado. Con una petición de la sección 778, su abogado puede argumentar que el confinamiento continuo de su hijo/a en detención juvenil o campamento juvenil lo pone en grave riesgo de daño físico, psicológico y emocional debido a la pandemia actual. Debido a que el confinamiento continuo de su hijo/a hace que sea significativamente más probable que el joven contraiga el virus COVID-19 y se enferme gravemente, y / o lo transmita a otra persona, esto constituye un cambio significativo de circunstancias que justifica la modificación de la orden del tribunal. Otro cambio de circunstancias puede involucrar servicios que se suponía que su hijo/a debía recibir y que no está recibiendo en la crisis actual. Su abogado puede argumentar que su hijo puede ser entregado de manera segura a usted, a otro miembro de su familia o pariente, en libertad condicional con las condiciones apropiadas. Puede ayudar al abogado de su hijo proporcionando información crítica. Por ejemplo, información de salud: si su hijo sufre de asma o otro problema respiratorio, el abogado necesitará esta información para la petición para argumentar que el joven es particularmente vulnerable a la infección. Plan de liberación: su abogado necesitará su ayuda para crear un plan que convenza al juez de que su hijo/a puede ser liberado a un lugar donde el joven y el público estarán seguros. Dígale al abogado de su hijo/a que hay una moción de plantilla con pruebas disponibles en el sitio web de Pacific Juvenile Defender Center, junto con una lista de abogados que pueden ayudarlo a responder preguntas.
  • Si el abogado de su hijo no responde a su llamada dentro de un tiempo razonable, puede preparar y presentar una petición de la sección 778 usted mismo. Puede descargar la Petición de plantilla de parte interesada de WIC 778, completarla, añadir las pruebas y presentarla en el tribunal de menores.

WIC 778 INTERESTED PARTY TEMPLATE PETITION

Exhibits for both petitions: “EXHIBIT 1” / “EXHIBIT 2” / “EXHIBIT 3

  • Otra opción es escribir una carta al juez que preside el tribunal de menores de su condado. Ese juez tiene el deber de inspeccionar el sitio de los juveniles en el condado al menos una vez al año y si el juez determina que un sitio no cumple con los estándares estatales, debe informar al jefe de la instalación y a la Junta de Correcciones del Estado y la Comunidad . Aquí hay una plantilla para escribir una carta que dice que su hijo/a lo ha informado que ha experimentado condiciones que no cumplen con los estándares estatales, y solicitando que el juez use su poder para informar las violaciones y también para usar su poder para liberar a su hijo/a.

TEMPLATE FOR FAMILIES TO USE IN SENDING LETTER TO PRESIDING JUDGE ON COVID-19

3-30-20 BSCC GUIDANCE ON JUVENILE FACILITIES

Si desea apoyo para preparar información, como un plan de reingreso, para el Paso 1, o completar la plantilla si el abogado no responde (Paso 2) o completar y enviar la carta al juez que preside en su condado.( Paso 3), los centros de defensa participativa de todo California pueden ayudar. Puede comunicarse con ellos en info@siliconvalleydebug.org y se le dirigirá al centro más cercano a usted.

 

 


Available to Lawyers Defending Children: PJDC’s Post-Disposition Petitions/Writ of Habeas Corpus for Release of Children in Congregate Facilities Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Health experts warn that congregate settings place all people at substantial risk of illness and death, and declare that reducing the number of people housed in detention facilities immediately is critically necessary for the health and safety of those facilities and our communities. Children confined in juvenile halls and camps in California are also at great risk and must be released. To assist advocates in seeking their clients’ release from congregate settings, the Pacific Juvenile Defender Center has developed the follow post-disposition template petitions (with exhibits):

POST-DISPOSITION TEMPLATE PETITIONS

=> For any out of home, congregate setting (juvenile hall, camp, etc.): “UPDATED PETITION FOR MODIFICATION OF DISPOSITION DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC (WELF. & INST. CODE, §§ 775, 778)

=> For the Division of Juvenile Facilities: “UPDATED PETITION TO VACATE DJF DISPOSITION DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC (WELF. & INST. CODE, §779).”

=> Exhibits for both petitions: “EXHIBIT 1” / “EXHIBIT 2” / “EXHIBIT 3

WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS:

=> When a 778 or 779 petition is unavailing: “PETITION FOR WRIT OF HABEAS OF CORPUS

=> Exhibits for writ of habeas corpus: “EXHIBIT 1” / “EXHIBIT 2

Please contact any of us if you need any help or have any questions:

Richard Braucher
rbraucher@fdap.org

Jonathan Grossman
jonathan@sdap.org

Marketa Sims
MSims@lacba.org

Sue Burrell
1sueburrell@gmail.com

Ji Seon Song
jssong@law.stanford.edu

Eileen Manning-Villar
emv_law@sbcglobal.net

One last thing, please let us know the outcome of these legal vehicles. (Note, if the section 778/779 petitions are denied, they are appealable orders; but filing a writ of habeas corpus may be the better approach, since an appeal will take many months.) We will be updating everything, as needed.