Every day, youth all over the country are at risk of being harmed by the very systems that are supposed to help them. By donating to our #AtRisk Not High Risk campaign, you can help us to continue to shape laws to improve the lives of vulnerable children and raise awareness about youth in the foster care and justice systems who are at risk, not high risk. 

Donate to our #AtRisk Not High Risk campaign now to help raise $5,000 by August 31, 2015.

Your donations will help Juvenile Law Center as we use legal advocacy to shape laws and improve the lives of youth in the juvenile justice and foster care systems. Some of the issues we work on are:

-        Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP): The United States is the only country in the world that sentences juveniles to life without the possibility of parole (JLWOP). There are 2,600 individuals in the United States who were sentenced to JLWOP—540 of whom are in Pennsylvania, which has the most JLWOP individuals of any state. These individuals were incarcerated since childhood, and more than half of them had no previous record when they were sentenced to die in prison. Juvenile Law Center has been litigating the constitutionality of sentencing juveniles to life without parole since 2005, as well as challenging “virtual” life sentences where individuals no longer have meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation. 
 

-        Solitary Confinement: Juvenile Law Center believes that the use of solitary confinement is an inhumane and traumatizing practice that deprives youth of the support and services they need for healthy development. With partners throughout the country, we are working to abolish solitary confinement nationally through federal and state legislative advocacy, litigation, publications, and education.
 

-        Normalcy for Youth in the System: Juvenile Law Center has taken a multi-pronged approach to supporting normalcy for those in the system. We are drafting and promoting model legislation that ensures comprehensive state implementation of recent federal law, including rigorous court oversight and youth grievance procedures to ensure these youth have a chance at success. We also work with states to develop an age-appropriate continuum of the most family-like living arrangements for older youth and young adults, seeking to make policies and procedures which have input by youth and are trauma-informed.

 

As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’re anticipating the next wave of threats and recognizing opportunities to give vulnerable youth a better chance at success. Your support is more important now than ever before, as it enables us to meet the ever growing demand for our expertise and advocacy. 

TAKE ACTION NOW AND DONATE TODAY.

Click here for the contest official rules.