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Two young people with long brown hair, wearing orange uniforms, walk toward an open door as an adult wearing a black sweatshirt holds the door open.

Juvenile Justice

Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Closing Argument
How States Are Undoing Criminal Justice Reforms
Louisiana, New York and other states are rolling back reforms — and efforts to reduce excessive sentencing or expand parole are smaller in scope.
A woman in an orange jail uniform crouches toward the ground, against a fence.
A Black woman in a blue shirt stands in a kitchen.
Cleveland February 5
Under Pressure, Cuyahoga County Releases Video of Teen’s Shooting by Deputy
After four months, the county provided body cam footage, and is weighing policy changes amid a Marshall Project and News 5 Cleveland investigation.
By , The Marshall Project, and Tara Morgan, News 5 Cleveland
In 2020, Los Angeles County approved reforms meant to close the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, pictured here in 2023, but this week local officials declared an emergency in order to assign other workers to help staff the facility.
Closing Argument December 21, 2024
While Youth Detention Numbers Rise, States Begin to Roll Back Reforms
Los Angeles County is one of many places that have struggled to maintain safe conditions for youth and seen reform efforts stall or be abandoned.
By
A collage illustration shows photos of a meeting room full of people, a man in a suit, the exterior of a building that reads “Cuyahoga County Juvenile Justice Center,” and a close-up image of people sitting, one taking notes. Excerpts of various documents are layered throughout the collage. One reads, “I am available, interested, and qualified to serve as assigned counsel in the following case type(s):” and another reads: “Optional delinquency qualification worksheets: The following sections are provided as a convenience to assist you in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications established in O.A.C. 120-1-10 for appointment to various levels of delinquency cases. You are not required to submit these sections with your application.”
Cleveland September 12, 2024
Not ‘Mini-Adult Court’: Lawyers Lacking Qualifications Defended 1,200 Cuyahoga County Kids
Juvenile Court judges will now track qualifications, but insist the state system creates barriers keeping experienced attorneys from defending kids.
By and
An aerial view of Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, California.
Closing Argument September 7, 2024
The Seemingly Endless Cycle of Reforms in Juvenile Justice
As Ohio considers closing youth detention facilities, recent efforts in other states have hit roadblocks.
By
A collage illustration shows a photo of a building with a sign that says “Cuyahoga County Juvenile Justice Center,” photos of other youth care facilities and silhouetted illustrations representing youth.
Cleveland August 1, 2024
These Private Centers Lack Oversight. Cuyahoga County Judges Send Kids Anyway.
Courts are increasingly sending children to private youth care centers, spending millions while detention center overcrowding persists.
By and
A man in an orange uniform looks out of a small window in his solitary confinement cell, which contains a narrow bed, a sink and attached toilet, and a small desk and chair.
Closing Argument April 20, 2024
The Enduring Use of Solitary, and New Proposed Limits That Will Likely Fail (Again)
Isolation’s damaging effects are widely known. But many facilities confine people — even youth — virtually all day, sometimes in shower stalls.
By
From left, James Crumbley, his attorney Mariell Lehman, Jennifer Crumbley, and her attorney Shannon Smith, sit in court in Pontiac, Michigan, for sentencing on April 9. The Crumbleys are the first parents convicted of involuntary manslaughter for a U.S. mass shooting committed by their son.
Closing Argument April 13, 2024
The Parents Paying for Their Children’s Crimes
Experts warn about a wave of legal consequences for parents like the Crumbleys, while some states consider prosecutions for kids as young as 10.
By
Illustration of a courtroom scene. Standing before a judge, with their backs to the viewer, are a man in a suit and a juvenile in an orange jumpsuit.
Cleveland January 11, 2024
How Cuyahoga County Picks Attorneys to Represent Children
Ohio sets rules for fairly appointing attorneys and the qualifications they must meet to be paid.
By and , The Marshall Project and Stephanie Casanova, Signal Cleveland
Analysis December 20, 2023
Some of Our Best Work of 2023
In podcasts, broadcasts and narrative stories, we examined prison conditions, prosecutions of pregnant women, Dungeons & Dragons on death row, and more.
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