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Youth

All young people must have the opportunity to meaningfully participate in our society.  The ACLU Youth Policy project seeks to ensure that young people – particularly those who have been historically excluded or underserved – receive meaningful education and services in communities, instead of being pushed to a juvenile justice system that will undermine their ability to be successful as adults.  Our current focus is on reforming school discipline policies and practices, working to limit school-based referrals to the juvenile justice system, and decreasing the over-reliance on jails and prisons for young people in the juvenile and adult criminal law systems.

REPORT: Washington Schools Routinely Physically Restrain and Isolate Students

Advocates call on the Legislature to Clarify the Law and Adopt Reforms to Protect Students 

ACLU Files Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court to Uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act  

Throughout history, federal and state governments have sought to threaten the existence of tribes

Resources

In re Meippen

We support Mr. Meippen’s case, which argues that this ruling should apply retroactively to allow him and other juveniles given very long adult prison sentences without consideration of youth as a mitigating factor to argue for reduced sentences now.
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Criminal Justice
Youth

State of Washington v. Gilbert

We filed an amicus brief with other amici with the Washington Supreme Court arguing that the widely recognized “mitigating factors of youth” should allow for concurrent sentences rather than the consecutive ones required by adult sentencing standards.
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Sentencing
Youth

State v. Garza

Amicus brief filed in support of review in the WA Supreme Court regarding allowing vacating and sealing of juvenile court records to reduce later negative consequences.
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Juvenile Justice
Youth

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