Nearly Half the States Move Forward on Juvenile Justice Reform

by Kids Forward | October 11, 2013

Home 9 Youth Justice 9 Nearly Half the States Move Forward on Juvenile Justice Reform

As WCCF works with others in the Wisconsin 2nd Chance Alliance to raise the age of adult court jurisdiction to age 18 for first-time, non-violent youth we take note that a recent report, Removing Youth from the Adult Criminal Justice System, published by the Campaign for Youth Justice highlights changes in 23 states between 2001 and 2013. Changes include states that have raise the age of jurisdiction, limited the placement of youth in adult facilities, or modified their transfer/waiver statutes to keep more youth in juvenile court.

The trend is a recognition that the juvenile system is better able to promote community safety and get youth back on track, and over 40 pieces of legislation have been passed across these states.  This is not about “if others are doing it, I guess we should do it too”.  It is about choosing a path that is demonstrating effectiveness across the nation.      by Jim Moeser

Join us to build a Wisconsin where
every child and family thrives.

Recent

State Budget: Early Care & Education

State Budget: Early Care & Education

Main Takeaways Child care is unaffordable and unavailable for too many working families. Child care staff are severely underpaid and this critical industry is on the verge of collapse unless there is continued economic support. The Governor's budget takes several...

State Budget: Immigration

State Budget: Immigration

Main Takeaways Wisconsin is home to nearly 300,000 immigrants, and they are vital contributors to the economic and social fabric of our communities. Despite their significant contributions, immigrants face barriers in their daily lives. The Governor’s 2025-27 State...

The Room Where it Happens: Attend a State Budget Hearing

The Room Where it Happens: Attend a State Budget Hearing

In February, Governor Evers proposed his state budget. Read our reaction here and some of our analysis here (more to come soon!).  The Governor’s proposals now go to the Joint Committee on Finance (often called the Joint Finance Committee or JFC). This powerful...

Sign up for Emails

Your address helps us identify your legislators and the most relevant messages to send you.