Juvenile Justice is a Human Rights Issue

The United States joins many countries as part of the United Nations and is bound by international conventions that dictate how individuals, including children should be treated. Even though the United States has made some progress in the area of human rights and its administration of a juvenile justice system (e.g. banning the death penalty for youth), there are a lot of improvement to be made. Some key areas are the legal representation of juveniles, the processing of children as adults, the treatment of juveniles in detention and correctional facilities, and the over-representation of youth of color. Guests will discuss juvenile justice as a human rights issue and highlight differences and existing tensions between the United States treatment of youth as compared to other countries. Guests will also share considerations for those representing youth and working in the juvenile justice system to frame their approach and advocacy.

Guests:

Elizabeth "Betsy" Clarke, President, Juvenile Justice Initiative

Deborah LaBelle, Director, Juvenile Life Without Parole Initiative of Michigan