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Report Reveals Unwarranted Detention Of Massachusetts Youth (12/18/2008)
BOSTON – Massachusetts police and probation officers are unnecessarily incarcerating youth who are arrested when juvenile court is typically closed, according to a report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Massachusetts and the Children's Law Center of Massachusetts. Many have been arrested for minor infractions and pose no obvious risk of flight or danger to the community.

ACLU Applauds Rep. Bobby Scott’s Youth Violence Summit (12/03/2008)
WASHINGTON – Today, as part of a youth violence summit hosted by Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), ACLU Legislative Counsel Jennifer Bellamy moderated a panel “Law Enforcement/Judicial Perspective on the Need for Prevention.” The purpose of the half-day issues forum, entitled “Empowering Communities to Combat Gang Crime: The Youth PROMISE Act,” is to address the need for evidence-based strategies for juvenile justice prevention and intervention.

NYCLU, ACLU Warn NYPD about Illegal Arrests of Schoolchildren (10/08/2008)

ACLU Calls on Congress to End the Sentencing of Children to Life Imprisonment without Parole (09/11/2008)
Washington, DC – Today, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security is scheduled to hold a hearing on a bill that would help end the practice of sentencing children to life in prison without the possibility of parole and provide grants to states to improve the quality of legal representation for youth charged with an offense that could lead to a life sentence. In a letter to Representatives Robert C. Scott (D-VA), chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee, and Louie Gohmert (R-TX), ranking member, the ACLU calls on Congress to move forward with H.R. 4300, the Juvenile Justice Accountability and Improvement Act of 2007.

ACLU Urges Senate Judiciary Committee to Close School-to-Prison Pipeline (07/31/2008)
Washington, DC – The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled today to mark up S. 3155, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2008 (JJDPA), a bill setting standards and providing funding to protect the rights of juveniles in the criminal justice system.

ACLU Report Exposes Unjust Detention Of Youth (05/12/2008)
BOSTON – A widespread practice in Massachusetts of locking up youth accused of minor offenses and who pose little or no danger to their communities is unfair, threatens public safety and wastes public money, according to a report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Massachusetts.

Dismal High School Graduation Rate Violates Florida Constitution, Says ACLU (03/18/2008)

ACLU Sues Over Failed Privately-Run Alternative School In Atlanta (03/11/2008)
ATLANTA – In a case with national implications, the American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Georgia filed a class action lawsuit today against the Atlanta Independent School System (AISS) and Community Education Partners (CEP) for violating students’ constitutional right to an adequate public education. CEP is a for-profit corporation paid nearly $7 million a year by the city to run its alternative school, which is among the most dangerous and lowest performing schools in Georgia.

ACLU, Rep. Bobby Scott Call for Multi-front Steps to Ending Youth Violence (11/28/2007)
RICHMOND, Va. – A group of advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, joined Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) today to call on the Virginia community, as well as political and law enforcement leaders, to end the school-to-prison pipeline, the trend of increasingly funneling young people from the school system to the criminal justice system. Panelists discussed Rep. Scott’s Youth PROMISE Act as part of an alternative, focusing on preventing young people from committing crimes and joining gangs rather than just relying on the criminal justice system to punish youths who have broken the law.

Native American Families and Winner School District Announce Settlement in Case Alleging Discrimination (06/18/2007)
WINNER, SD - The Winner/Ideal Native American community and the Winner School District announced today that an agreement has been reached to settle a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of Native American students attending Winner schools.

ACLU Shares Findings of Two-Week Investigation of Girls in Texas Juvenile Justice System (05/24/2007)
AUSTIN, TX - As part of ongoing efforts to reform and restructure Texas’s juvenile justice system, today the American Civil Liberties Union Women’s Rights Project released a preliminary report, A Blueprint for Meeting the Needs of Girls in TYC Custody. On Tuesday the ACLU briefed Texas Youth Commission (TYC) Conservator Jay Kimbrough, Acting Executive Director Ed Owens and new Chief Ombudsman Will Harrell on findings and recommendations in the report that resulted from a two-week investigation of all TYC detention facilities that house girls. The report was presented yesterday to key legislative staffers.

ACLU of Texas and Juvenile Justice Advocates Applaud Passage of Texas Youth Commission Reform Bill (04/19/2007)
AUSTIN, TX - The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the Texas Coalition Advocating Justice for Juveniles (TCAJJ) applauded the unanimous passage in the State Senate today of SB 103, the omnibus reform legislation on the Texas Youth Commission (TYC). Both groups were thrilled to see the comprehensive bill pass so quickly after tumultuous weeks of scandals and revelations at the commission.

Groups Launch Campaign to Ensure That Ohio Youth Have Access to Lawyers (04/18/2007)
COLUMBUS, OH - As the Supreme Court of Ohio today heard arguments on protecting children’s right to counsel, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Ohio, the Children’s Law Center and the Office of the Ohio Public Defender announced a statewide campaign to inform young people of their rights.

ACLU Urges House of Representatives to Protect Students’ Fourth Amendment Rights (09/19/2006)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today urged the House of Representatives to protect students’ Fourth Amendment rights and reject a bill granting schools broad authority to search students and their personal belongings. H.R. 5295, the “Student Teacher Safety Act of 2006,” would allow school officials to conduct random, wide-scale searches of students without having any individualized suspicion that a particular student is participating in criminal activity or breaking school rules.

Groups Urge Ohio Supreme Court to Ensure Children Have Access to Lawyers (03/09/2006)
COLUMBUS, OH – The American Civil Liberties Union, the Children’s Law Center, the ACLU of Ohio, and the Office of the Ohio Public Defender today filed a petition urging the state Supreme Court to better protect the right to counsel for children accused of a crime.

Children Sentenced to Life Without Parole Bring Plea to Human Rights Body (02/22/2006)
NEW YORK - The national American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Michigan today filed a petition urging the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to rule that sentencing children to mandatory life without the possibility of parole violates the Declaration of the Rights of Man and universal human rights principles.

ACLU of New Mexico Wins Agreement to Overhaul State Juvenile Justice System (02/17/2006)
ALBUQUERQUE – The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and the San Francisco-based Youth Law Center today announced a settlement agreement with New Mexico’s Children Youth and Families Department that requires sweeping improvements in security, mental health programming, and rehabilitation services in juvenile detention facilities across the state. It also mandates the closure of the troubled New Mexico Boy’s School in Springer.

ACLU of Michigan Applauds Introduction of Legislation to Reform "Juvenile Life Without Parole" Sentences (11/03/2005)
DETROIT - One year after the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan released a report calling attention to the more than 300 juveniles living out life sentences in Michigan prisons with no hope of rehabilitation or release, legislation was introduced in Lansing today to correct the laws that punish children as adults.

ACLU Urges Hawai'i to Act on Department of Justice Report on Youth Correctional Facility (08/12/2005)
HONOLULU -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai'i is urging state officials to act immediately on the Department of Justice's report released today about its investigation into problematic conditions and practices at the Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility, many of which were uncovered by an earlier ACLU inquiry.

NYCLU Hails Decision by Bronx DA to Dismiss Criminal Charges Against School Officials (04/12/2005)
NEW YORK--The New York Civil Liberties Union today praised the decision of the Bronx District Attorney to dismiss criminal charges against a high school principal and a school safety officer who were arrested for interference when they tried to stop the arrest of a 16-year-old student.