News
Registration Now Open For The 2019 Roundtable
Registration is now open for PJDC’s 16th annual Roundtable on Saturday, September 21st at UC Berkeley Law School in Berkeley. This year’s Roundtable will offer case law and legislative updates, as well as workshops in critical areas of juvenile law and policy with a focus on the traumas our clients face both inside and outside …
Desautels and Song Publish Op-Ed on the Closure of Juvenile Halls
PJDC members Meredith Desautels of the Youth Law Center and Ji Seon Song of Stanford Law School recently authored an op-ed in the Chronicle of Social Change calling for counties to creatively reimagine the juvenile justice system, so that they replace juvenile halls with a transformative vision of youth justice centered in the community. The …
San Francisco Votes to Close Its Juvenile Hall by 2021
By a 10 to 1 vote, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has voted to close its juvenile hall by the end of 2021. The ordinance requires the creation of a task force to develop home-like and rehabilitative centers in San Francisco to house youth offenders, including a secure site for those who pose a …
SF Board of Supervisors Recognizes the Visionary Leadership of PJDC President Patti Lee
On March 19, 2019, Pacific Juvenile Defender Center (PJDC) President Patti Lee was recognized as a champion of peace and nonviolence and visionary community leader by the City and County of San Francisco during the Board of Supervisor’s celebration of Women’s History Month.
Lee was recommended for this honor by District 11 Supervisor Ahsha …
SF Board of Supervisors Mandate Pre-Interrogation Attorney Consultations for All Youth
On February 26, 2019, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the “Jeff Adachi Youth Rights” ordinance, which prohibits custodial police interrogations of youth 17 years of age or younger, unless certain conditions are first met. These conditions include: (1) providing the youth legal representation in connection with the interrogation, and (2) requiring that …
A Great Warrior for Justice: Jeff Adachi 1959-2019
PJDC mourns the loss of Jeff Adachi, Public Defender of San Francisco, who died suddenly on February 23rd. PJDC President Patti Lee, who serves as head of the Juvenile Division for the office said of Jeff that “He truly believed in redemption,” and that he was especially committed to providing the best juvenile defense and …
Los Angeles Supervisors Vote to Phase Out Pepper Spray in Juvenile Facilities
In the wake of a scathing report by the Los Angeles Inspector General regarding the rampant misuse of pepper spray against incarcerated children, PJDC joined dozens of juvenile justice and civil rights organizations to urge the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to phase out the use of pepper spray in all juvenile facilities. The …
Registration Open For The 2019 Bay Area Juvenile Defender Gathering
Registration is now open for the second annual Bay Area Juvenile Defender Gathering at UC Berkeley Law School in Berkeley on Saturday, March 9th. Juvenile Attorneys, social workers, and education attorneys from all extended Bay Area counties are invited to come and share ideas at this interactive gathering. The featured speaker will be Elizabeth …
Elizabeth Calvin Wins Juvenile Law Center Leadership Prize
Big congratulations go to PJDC Board Member Elizabeth Calvin for being selected to receive the Juvenile Law Center’s 2019 Leadership Prize. The Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center awards the Leadership Prize each year to recognize outstanding individuals working in any field—who are fighting for the rights and well-being of youth in the child welfare and justice …
JJDPA Reauthorized After 16 Years, Preserving Core Protections for Youth
On December 21, 2018, President Trump signed a reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (the “JJDPA”). The JJDPA supports state and local juvenile justice planning and operations through grants, technical assistance, research, and program evaluation. As a condition of receiving federal funding, states agree to implement core requirements of the …