As AI has proliferated, some school districts are turning to AI-powered “weapons detection” systems in an attempt to curb violence at schools. These systems ultimately offer the illusion of increased safety due to their visibility, but research shows that there is a lack of proven results.
Diversion programs play a critical role in the juvenile justice system, balancing the need for accountability and addressing the root causes of youth misbehavior while avoiding the harmful impacts of system involvement and youth incarceration.
Young people and advocates show their support for Raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction.
On April 18, 2024, young people, advocates, and youth-serving organizations and agencies converged on the steps of the Massachusetts State House to champion legislation to Raise the Age of juvenile court jurisdiction, a critical transformation of our justice system that would mark the type of change that our youth deserve.
Pushing for School Hardening Measures Causes Further Harm to Students
Responses to school safety must center students’ needs, opposed to increasing the criminalization of young people. Amid alleged incidents of heightened violence in schools, such as Brockton High School, calls for school hardening measures and zero tolerance approaches fail to honor the needs of struggling students…
In a monumental decision January 11, 2024, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled adults younger than 21 cannot be sentenced to life without parole. Prior to this ruling, the state prohibited individuals only under the age of 18 from being sentenced to life without parole.
