Youth Justice
Vera’s Center on Youth Justice (CYJ) works with policymakers and practitioners who want juvenile justice to be rooted in the community, more effective, and smaller in scale, touching the lives of fewer children.
Featured
Young Adult Justice in Connecticut
Transforming conditions of confinement for young adults
Young people ages 18 to 24 make up 10 percent of the U.S. population but comprise 21 percent of people admitted into adult prison every year. Neuroscience shows that young adults in this age group are still developing in important ways. When mistakes they make lead to prison, we should ensure they are housed safely and that they’re given the tools ...
Project
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Alex Frank
Richard Ross
Ending Girls' Incarceration in New York City
Over the last decade, successful reforms have reduced the number of youth in juvenile custody by 50 percent nationwide—largely by sharply reducing confinement for low-risk offenses. However, despite the fact that the vast majority of girls are still incarcerated for behavior that poses no public safety risk, girls’ incarceration is declining at a s...
Status Offense Reform Center
Providing community-based alternatives to court and juvenile justice system involvement
Every year, thousands of kids are brought to court or even placed in locked facilities for misbehaviors like truancy, running away, and curfew violations—also known as status offenses—which are only illegal for kids under the age of 18. While these behaviors can be typical in adolescence, they can also be symptomatic of underlying issues at home or...
Project
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Vidhya Ananthakrishnan
Related Work
Closing the Courthouse Door to Kids Who Misbehave
All of this comes at an enormous fiscal and social cost. Processing status offense cases in court is both inefficient and expensive, particularly for kids or families who require immediate help. When these cases do result in confinement, the costs can be upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Meanwhile, this approach isolates kids fr...
Blog Post
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Vidhya Ananthakrishnan
Just Kids: When Misbehaving Is a Crime
This special report offers a primer on status offenses—misbehaviors that are only illegal because of a person’s age and that unfairly land many kids in the justice system.
Skipping School Can Get Kids Locked Up?
Every year, thousands of American children are shuffled through the justice system for misbehaviors like skipping school and running away – referred to as “status offenses”—when their families, schools, and communities don’t know how else to help them. While it may seem like the best option, research shows that the juvenile system just isn’t equipp...
Series: Dispatches from T.R.U.E.
My Old Friends
A T.R.U.E. mentor reflects on how books have shaped his life behind bars
The books would pile up so much that I would send home a banker box full of books every few months to keep within the confines of my property allotment of six cubic feet. My parents dutifully packed them in the storage area of their home, waiting for our reunion. I spent so much time in those books they became my closest friends. Their attention co...
Series: Dispatches from T.R.U.E.
Working Together Toward Community, Connection, and Comradeship in T.R.U.E.
An offender in the T.R.U.E. unit asked me, “Why do you want to participate in this program?” I explained that I was tired of the revolving door in Corrections and the disruption it causes to the community. They then asked, “What experiences do you have dealing with this population?” Even though there has never been a unit like this in an ...
Series: Dispatches from T.R.U.E.
Looking Back Toward a Better Future
The purpose of this blog series is to allow you to gain an appreciation for the T.R.U.E. program through the words of those of us who have been blessed with the opportunity to be a part of this unique experience. In future posts, I will write about the day-to-day life of a mentor and some of the experiences I have had in the unit. For now, I want ...
Series: Dispatches from T.R.U.E.
Connecticut’s T.R.U.E. Prison Program Offers New Beginnings
First, I knew I would be a good asset to this program. I know right from wrong and I’ve never been in trouble while incarcerated. Since being in prison, I have come to an even better understanding of right from wrong. Second, there are some things I need to work on within myself so I can be a better person for myself and society. For example, I nee...
Series: Gender and Justice in America
Sexual Assault Awareness is Key to Keeping Girls Out of the Juvenile Justice System
Every April, tribute is paid to survivors of sexual violence through educational and awareness-raising events across the country. To that end, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) campaign for 2017 seeks to shine a spotlight on leaders who can influence the cultural change needed to end sexual violen...
Blog Post
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Shannon Scully
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Leah Hairston
Why Kids in Detention Deserve Access to Their Siblings
But a stint in jail is arguably one of the toughest times young people can go through, which means they need all the support they can get. Even if a detention stay is short (the average time kids stay in detention is about three days), it’s still a scary and stressful experience. Being able to hug their brothers and sisters or get their advice is ...
Blog Post
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Ryan Shanahan
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Cymone Fuller
Understanding How Young Men of Color Seek Help after Violence
Because the aftermath of violence can disrupt a person’s sense of safety, lead to a range of psychological consequences, and heighten the risk of engaging in future violence, it’s crucial that these young men, in the wake of violent victimization, receive both formal and informal support that can help them heal. Formal support can come from counsel...
Blog Post
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Elizabeth Ige
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Saadiq Bey
MTV and Hernan Carvente Discuss Youth, Violence, and Justice Reform
I was invited to be part of the MTV interview, because I now serve as an adviser to the Youth First Initiative—a national advocacy campaign whose aim is to end youth incarceration by closing youth prisons and investing in community-based programs and alternatives to incarceration. Between my work with Youth First and other opportunities I’ve had si...
Blog Post
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Hernan Carvente
Series: Dispatches from T.R.U.E.
How Connecticut Reimagines Prison for Young Men
It is extraordinary that in less than two years, many of those ideas became a reality in Connecticut. Over the past 9 months, Vera has been proud to partner with CT DOC to design and implement this pilot unit for incarcerated young adults 18 to 25. It changes the culture of corrections by drawing on lessons from American juvenile justice, internati...
Blog Post
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Mary Crowley