Massachusetts Coalition for Juvenile Justice Reform
The Problem
Thousands of children and youth in Massachusetts come into contact with the juvenile justice system each year. Overwhelmingly, these are children from neighborhoods with high levels of poverty and they are, disproportionately, children of color and children from our child welfare systems. Many have experienced mental illness, learning disabilities, and/or school failure.
THE Issues
The Coalition for Juvenile Justice Reform seeks to improve the experiences, opportunities and lives of young people – from birth through their mid-20’s – by advocating for legal system reforms that:
prevent the unnecessary legal system involvement of youth;
promote healthier outcomes for young people involved in the justice system and reducing harms of legal system involvement; and
promote transparency, accountability and equity towards a data-driven justice system in Massachusetts through budget and legislative reforms