Massachusetts
Contact Information
Citizens for Juvenile Justice (CfJJ), is the only independent, non-profit, statewide organization working exclusively to improve the juvenile justice system in Massachusetts. CfJJ advocates, convenes, conducts research, and educates the public on important juvenile justice issues.
Phone: 617-338-1050
Website: www.cfjj.org
Twitter: @cfjjma
Legislation
Bill Number: HB 1432
Type of Reform
Raise the Age Reform - Raised the age at which youth will be tried as an adult from 17 years to 18 years old.
Year: 2013
Bill Number: HB 4307
Type of Reform
Sentencing Reform - Abolished juvenile life without parole (JLWOP).
Year: 2014
Reports
Missed Opportunities: Preventing youth in the child welfare system from entering the juvenile justice system (2015)
This report examines children who "cross over" from the child welfare system into the juvenile justice system. This review found that within the child welfare system, the children who eventually had juvenile justice involvement had significantly different experiences from those who did not. These findings present opportunities to intervene and incorporate different policies and programs that can prevent these children’s juvenile justice involvement.
Less Jail, More Future (2014)
Roca's 2014 annual report analyzes of their intervention-based model which engages the highest risk 17 to 24-year-olds in a long-term process of behavior change and skill-building opportunities.
Unlocking Potential: Addressing the overuse of juvenile detention in Massachusetts (2014)
This report highlights whom we detain, why detention is harmful to kids, and which alternatives to detention are working well in Massachusetts. It also calls attention to work that still needs to be done, including the need to expand models already being developed at the local level to reduce juvenile incarceration around the Commonwealth.
Arrested Futures: The Criminalization of School Discipline in Massachusetts’ Three Largest School Districts (2012)
This report analyzes school-based arrests at Massachusetts’ three largest school districts – Boston, Springfield, and Worcester – and evaluates which students are being arrested and why. Report authors reviewed years of arrest data from these districts, including both numerical data and written reports from arresting officers, to determine the number, rate, and nature of the behavior that lead to the arrests. These findings are an important addition to existing research examining the “school-to-prison pipeline,” showing that students are being frequently arrested for minor, disruptive behavior that could be better addressed by school administrators.
Minor Transgression, Major Consequences: picture of a 17-year-olds in the Massachusetts criminal justice system (2011)
This report examines the Massachusetts policy of sending all 17-year-olds accused of a crime to the adult criminal justice system, a practice that makes kids more likely to re-offend and threatens their safety.