Books

Hidden Injustice: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth in Juvenile Courts

Katayoon Majd, National Juvenile Defender Center
Jody Marksamer, National Center for Lesbian Rights
Carolyn Reyes, Legal Services for Children
Fall 2009

Hidden Injustice represents the first effort to examine the experience of LGBT youth in juvenile courts across the country. The report is based on information collected from more than 400 surveys and 65 interviews with juvenile justice professionals, including judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, probation officers, detention staff, and other juvenile justice advocates; focus groups and interviews of 55 youth who possess relevant firsthand experience; and an extensive review of relevant social science and legal research. The goals of this report are to:

• educate professionals working in the juvenile justice system about the continuing stigma against LGBT youth, the relevance of sexual orientation and gender identity in juvenile justice contexts, and the experiences of LGBT youth in the system;
• identify obstacles to fair and equitable treatment of LGBT youth in delinquency and status offense cases; and
• recommend concrete practice and policy reforms that will protect the rights of LGBT youth and ensure that the system responds to them effectively. 


Reports

Closing California’s Division Of Juvenile Facilities: An Analysis Of County Institutional Capacity

Daniel Macallair, executive director, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ)
Mike Males, senior research fellow, CJCJ
Catherine McCracken, program director, CJCJ

This report examines the possible closure of the California Youth Authority (CYA) and moving youth back to the counties using alternatives to CYA commitment.

More information

From Time Out To Hard Time: Young Children In The Adult Criminal Justice System

Michelle Deitch, adjunct professor, LBJ School Of Public Affairs, University of Texas

This report provides a comprehensive look at how the nation treats pre-adolescent children (primarily those 12 and under) who commit serious crimes. The report analyzes data on the transfer of young children to adult criminal court, documents the harsh and tragic consequences that follow, profiles practices in states with particularly severe outcomes for these children, and offers policy recommendations.

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The Role Of Juvenile Defense Counsel In Delinquency Court

10 Core Principles For Providing Quality Delinquency Representation Through Public Defense Delivery Systems

Spanish translation
National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC)
The NJDC hopes the translation of these publications serves to improve advocacy in the juvenile defense community throughout the US, as well as territories and countries that use Spanish as their primary language.