In late 2013 the North Carolina Court of Appeals issued opinions on three juvenile delinquency cases that merit highlighting: • In re J.L.H., 2013 N.C. App. LEXIS 1155 • In re G.C., 2013 N.C. App. LEXIS 1203 • In re A.F., 2013 N.C. App. LEXIS 1316 The cases are notable not only for their immediate impact, but long […]
Changing the Course of Anti-Bullying Policy and Law
If advocates, policymakers, and lawmakers hope to plug the school-to-prison pipeline they must embrace policies and programs that are anti-bullying rather than anti-bully. Communities often rightly rush to the side of the victims of bullying, but what of the students who bully? They are not nameless monsters deserving of demonization. Beliefs that students who bully […]
Kids Make Mistakes
We all want our kids to learn from their mistakes, go to school and get good jobs. Yet, NC remains one of only two states in the nation that automatically prosecutes all 16- and 17-year-olds as adults for something as minor as stealing a bag of Doritos from the lunch room cafeteria (yes, it’s a true story). One day […]
No (More) Youth in the Criminal System
In its upcoming legislative session, the North Carolina General Assembly is poised to again take up a Republican-sponsored bill that would expose more youth to criminal prosecution in the adult system. All who care about public safety and fair treatment of youth should oppose this and any other efforts to prosecute more young people in that system. […]
Selina Garcia: Multi-System Failure
At 7:30 a.m. on a Friday morning, I began to receive a flurry of text messages from Selina, a 17-year-old high school student in Wake County, North Carolina. “Jen, something happened on the school bus. The SRO (School Resource Officer) wants to take me to jail.” Within minutes, I was able to speak with Officer […]
Durham’s Misdemeanor Diversion Program
Jasmine, 16, stood behind the defense table in Criminal Courtroom 4-D. She was in line with two dozen “real” adults in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s who faced charges of robbery, selling drugs, home invasions, etc. As the presiding judge, I was conducting the first appearances to make sure each person understood his/her charges. When […]
Reducing Disparities and Promoting Equity in School Discipline
The State Constitution and U.S. Constitution guarantee students in North Carolina public schools equal protection under of the laws. Moreover, under federal civil rights laws, North Carolina public school students have a right to be free from discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, sex, and disability. Yet Black students, male students, and students with disabilities are disproportionately pushed […]