Focus area

Youth Justice

We work to transform the youth justice system so that it better embodies true justice and equity for children. We advance community-based, health-centered alternatives to harmful system practices and build towards a culture in which the system treats children as children. The work we do prioritizes evidence-based solutions that are proven to decrease recidivism and meet children with empathy and care.

Center Youth
We provide direct services to students impacted by the youth justice system to help improve their school’s practices to better serve them. We also work directly with youth to file litigation and mobilize youth in policy advocacy and grassroots capacity building through partnerships with community-based organizations.

Our Success & Impact

Get up to date on our latest work - from litigation and policy wins to new reports, resources, events and more.

Corpus Christi ISD violates education law according to state agency investigation

Corpus Christi ISD (CCISD) is in violation of federal education law and must take corrective action according to an investigative report completed...

Success and Impact

Families, youth to receive cash reimbursements from Riverside County

Riverside County, per the settlement, will pay $540K in reimbursements and has agreed to stop collecting more than $4 million in outstanding fees.

Success and Impact

Settlement results in added accountability for Sacramento school district

Settlement reached in lawsuit that challenged the Sacramento district's harmful practices of excluding and segregating students with disabilities.

Our Initiatives

Create a Youth Justice System That Supports Development and Opportunity

NCYL develops, passes, and implements policies and practices that divert young people away from punitive systems and toward supportive, community-based solutions.

End The School To Prison Pipeline

Schools nationwide use harsh punishments that push students - especially Black and Brown students - into what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline. NCYL uses many strategies to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline and create positive school environments that meet students’ academic, social and

Achieve #DebtFreeJustice

When youth are involved in the juvenile legal system, they can be charged thousands of dollars in unjust fees and fines. NCYL works to eliminate this harmful practice through ongoing impact litigation, policy advocacy and nationwide and community collaborations.

Legal Advocacy & Impact Litigation

See All Cases

D.P. v. School Board of Palm Beach County

Filing date

2021-06-22

Police employed by the School District of Palm Beach County illegally use the Florida Mental Health Act, also known as the Baker Act, to subject hundreds of students each year to involuntary psychiatric examinations, without their parents' input, consent and, sometimes, over their objections.

Active

Freeman v. County of Riverside

Filing date

2020-06-01

This lawsuit alleges Riverside County of illegally collecting juvenile administrative fees.

Active

Sigma Beta XI v. County of Riverside

Filing date

2018-07-01

This lawsuit alleges that Riverside County, California, through its Probation office, targets, ensnares, and discriminates against children by stripping them of their constitutional rights.

Active

Laws & Policy

See All Laws & Policy

End School-Based Ticketing (2024)

HB 3413 (Ford)

Ending the unjust practice of referring students to be ticketed for an incident that can be pursued through the school district’s discipline policy

Active

Justice for Survivors (2024)

AB 2354 (Bonta)

AB 2354 is a crucial bill in California aimed at ensuring that all survivors of intimate partner violence, human trafficking, and other forms of violence can petition the court for vacatur relief,

Active

Justice for Survivors (2023)

AB 1497 (Haney)

Creating meaningful pathways to justice for survivors of trauma, domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking who are funneled into our criminal legal system is important for their healing and care, and to stop the further criminalization of victims. Often survivors of survivors of

Inactive

Related Resources

Unrepresented and Unseen - A closer look at the harmful impacts of municipal courts on youth, families in Lakewood, Colorado

From school to court: New report details extensive harms tickets inflict on students

LAKEWOOD, Colorado — A new report that examines the experiences of young people who become ensnared in Colorado's municipal court system due to being...

Reports

The Urgent Need for Child-Centered Artificial Intelligence Policies

Never before in all of human history have the sleek threads of technology been so tightly woven into the tender fabric of a child’s daily existence...

Beware the Fine Print

This issue brief will highlight where and court fees and fines are imposed in Nebraska, how they challenge system-involved youth and families, and...

Report cover with title and collage of five photos of young people's faces in bright colors

Expanded Confidentiality and Sealing Provisions for Youth Police Records

Starting January 1, 2022, California youth who are diverted from the juvenile justice system after contact with law enforcement will automatically...

SB 203 graphic showing process of youth interrogation

Factsheets

Miranda Rights - Protection Guides for Youth and Professionals

Guides to help youth, law enforcement, and school staff understand the rights youth have during police interrogations to ensure outcomes are just and...

Where We Focus

National Center for Youth Law is committed to achieving large-scale, lasting change across multiple government systems and public agencies. Explore all the areas of our work to Center Youth.

Education

Foster Care

Health

Immigration

Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Contribute Today

You can be part of the mission to Center Youth and create a world where every child thrives.