Bridging justice between childhood and adulthood
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Due November 16: Developmental Framework RFI Application
The EAJP released a Request for Interest for state, county, and municipal government entities and non-profit organizations to become one of three sites (“Innovation Sites”) to implement and assess the functionality of a newly designed Developmental Framework (“the Framework”) specifically for emerging adults with adult criminal legal system involvement. Over the course of 2.5 years, each of the selected jurisdictions will implement the Framework at a particular stage in the criminal legal system of its own choosing, such as post-arrest diversion, defense, probation, or re-entry. Representatives from the Innovation Sites will participate in Emerging Adult Justice Developmental Framework Steering Committee (“Steering Committee”) meetings, both in-person and virtual convenings, during which they will report back on implementation and help adapt, edit, and improve the Framework to maximize its usefulness to local and national practice.
The Columbia University Justice Lab’s Emerging Adult Justice Project (“EAJP”) and the Annie E. Casey Foundation (“Casey Foundation”) will partner with sites by providing expertise in the burgeoning field of emerging adult justice, sharing promising practices, and supporting and fostering learning among all the sites. The Casey Foundation will provide funding to the selected sites for $50,000 for the first year (and further funding to be determined). We thank the Casey Foundation for their funding and support and acknowledge that any findings and conclusions presented are from the Columbia University Justice Lab alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Foundation.
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Raise the Age Developments: MA |
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Massachusetts is one of 8 states that has considered proposals to raise the upper age limit of the juvenile justice system from the 18th to the 21st birthday, to provide rehabilitative and developmentally appropriate services to more youth and protect them from harm in adult prisons.
The EAJP's 2020 report, "Massachusetts' Youth Justice System: Data Trends and Three Key Indicators," analyzed juvenile arrests, court caseloads, and the number of youth in the custody of the Commonwealth's youth correctional agency, Department of Youth Services (DYS). All three metrics revealed dramatic (double-digit) decreases from 2008 to 2020, even while Massachusetts expanded its juvenile jurisdiction by raising the upper age from the youth's 17th to 18th birthday in the Fall of 2013.
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Boston Celtics United to #RaiseTheAge
The Boston Celtics' owners and players recently lent their support to the #RaiseTheAge movement. The EAJP has been honored to give a series of presentations to the Celtics in partnership with Massachusetts' leading youth justice advocates over the past year, to inform them of the research and burgeoning field. In October 2021, the Celtics submitted testimony in support of the Raise the Age bill (H.B. 1826/S.B. 920), which included this passage:
"As Celtics legend and civil rights champion Bill Russell once stated, “there is no such thing as other people’s children.” The system’s failure of older adolescents falls upon all of us; we all must commit to equity, fairness and what is best for our young people. As an organization, we call upon our Legislature to be bold and to “raise the age” of juvenile court jurisdiction for the betterment of our older adolescents and our Commonwealth as a whole."
Last month, the Celtics hosted Play for Justice, an event bringing together people who were formerly incarcerated and team members to have meaningful conversations about incarceration, rehabilitation, and redemption. The Boston Globe reports that the event's purpose was to "familiarize players with the journeys of young men who may have come from the same environments or even worse." Players walked away with plans to visit a local juvenile youth facility: "It was an eye-opening experience for the players, who are understandably living in a bubble where ball is their life."
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Research shows that the vast majority of people will age of out crime by age 25, but collateral - or indirect - consequences of an adult criminal record can be lifelong.
Since 2014, the Collateral Consequences Resource Center (CCRC) has reported on the states that have passed hundreds of laws aimed at addressing and reducing the numerous consequences of involvement with the criminal legal system. By ranking states' efforts to pass laws restoring rights and opportunities, CCRC's Reintegration Report Card has helped advocates support the passage of reform legislation alleviating impacts of a criminal record.
Similarly, since 2018, the National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction (NICCC) has provided an interactive resource, listing statutes and regulations that impose collateral consequences in all 50 states, the federal system, and the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Because its inventory reflects current state-level consequences, one can determine changes in consequences by downloading data from both before and after a reform took place.
Other resources:
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New Rochelle, NY's Opportunity Youth Part Will Celebrate Second Graduation |
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On November 4, New Rochelle City Court's Opportunity Youth Part will celebrate its second graduation. Created by Judge Jared Rice, the Part is the first emerging adult justice initiative in New York's 9th Judicial District. After working with a case manager to create a court-designed "wellness plan," participants are connected with other providers to help them meet their workforce development, job placement, educational, and therapeutic goals. The developmentally appropriate alternatives to incarceration provided through the program emphasize connections to community and supportive networks of positive relationships. Completion of the wellness plan can result in a more favorable disposition and even graduation from the court without a criminal record.
Congratulations to the new graduates, mentors, attorneys, and service providers!
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Image Source: New Rochelle City Court, "Opportunity Youth Part: Implementation & Outcome Data" (2022) |
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TODAY: Life Sentences for Children? The Neuroscientific Basis for Limitations on Harsh Sentencing
October 27, 12pm EST
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As part of its Project on Law and Applied Neuroscience, the Center for Law, Brain and Behavior at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics at Harvard Law School will be presenting a panel examining the intersections of emerging case law and neuroscience.
To hear more about the key role that neuroscience is playing in legal decisions about children and emerging adults serving life sentences, register to receive a link to the livestreamed event.
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NEW EAJP REPORT:
Emerging Adults Incarcerated at Rikers Island:
An Overview
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Last week, the Emerging Adult Justice Project released a new report, Emerging Adults Incarcerated at Rikers Island: An Overview, describing the harm emerging adults disproportionately face in the violent environment of Rikers Island. Exposure to this neglect and violence during the transition to adulthood can cause long-lasting trauma, hindering young people’s well-being and impeding their healthy development.
The release of the report coincides with last week's NYC Board of Correction meeting, which the DOC failed to attend. In November, SDNY may begin the process of considering whether to appoint a federal receiver for the jail complex.
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