NCYL works to ensure that youth in trouble with the law are treated fairly and appropriately for their age and capacity to change. NCYL promotes reforms that keep youth from entering the juvenile justice system, and also strives to protect the safety and welfare of youth in custody.
Unlike any other state in the nation, Wyoming commonly prosecutes children as adults, often imposing adult sentences for normal adolescent misbehavior. The majority of children in trouble with the law in Wyoming are being processed through adult courts, where they become saddled with adult criminal convictions. Children as young as 8 are being criminally prosecuted for such minor offenses as stealing a pack of gum or skateboarding in a restricted area.
NCYL is working with Wyoming advocates, government officials, and others to reform the state's juvenile justice system.
Attorneys from the law firm of Perkins Coie, with NCYL’s assistance, filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in California’s Court of Appeal seeking the release of Sara Kruzan. Ms. Kruzan is serving a life without parole sentence for shooting her then 36-year-old pimp when she was 16. The pimp had sexually abused Sara since age 11 and began trafficking her as a prostitute when she was 13. Read more
A bill that would give juveniles sentenced to life without parole in California an opportunity to have their cases reconsidered after 10 years has cleared another hurdle as California moves towards more humane sentencing of juveniles.
Thanks to funding from the Public Welfare Foundation and the Atlantic Philanthropies, NCYL is expanding its Juvenile Justice Reform Project. This expansion includes increased involvement in Wyoming and Arkansas, where NCYL is currently working, and the launching of new juvenile justice reform work in other states, including California.
NCYL Senior Attorney Pat Arthur, in collaboration with DYS, has co-authored a report that provides a framework for reform. The report recommends a series of goals, with the focus on reducing reliance on incarceration and increasing community-based programs – programs proven to be far more appropriate and effective for serving youth in trouble. See Report
Juvenile justice systems around California are awakening to the needs of a new population: girls. As girls enter the delinquency system in ever-increasing numbers, several California counties have established new delinquency courts and treatment programs tailored specifically to girls and their unique issues and needs.
