Youth Agenda for Algorithmic Justice in Courts

Justice Education Project invites juvenile justice advocates, researchers, practitioners, and youth-serving organizations to review and sign the Youth Agenda on Algorithmic Tools in the Courts, a youth-led call for transparency, due process, and accountability as risk assessment tools, facial recognition, and AI-generated evidence increasingly shape criminal and juvenile legal proceedings. Current signatories include Ruha Benjamin (Princeton University), Jonathan Simon (Berkeley Law), Chesa Boudin (Berkeley Law Criminal Law & Justice Center), Ana Brian Nougrères (UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy), Fionnuala Ní Aoláin (former UN Special Rapporteur), and the National Police Accountability Project. Read the agenda and learn more: https://lnkd.in/e24nVSmM

In the 1990s, a debunked theory about a coming wave of "super predator" youth reshaped American law. States rushed to lower the age for adult prosecution, expand which offenses could send kids to adult court, and strip judges of discretion. The result: by 2009, roughly 200,000 children a year were being charged as adults — a policy shift built on a theory its own author later disavowed. In “The Childhood Trauma-to-Prison Pipeline: The Prosecution and Incarceration of Traumatized Children as Adults,” written by Aiden Lesley, Child Rights Researcher, and Suzanne S. LaPierre, J.D. HRFK Co-Founder & President, Human Rights for Kids surveyed more than 2,200 incarcerated individuals across 38 states, who were prosecuted as adults for crimes committed as children. The average respondent's Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) score was 6.31 — a figure that signals severe, compounding trauma well before any offense occurred. Three patterns emerged during this research: ➡️ Children whose abuse and neglect led to behavioral struggles that the justice system met with punishment instead of treatment ➡️ Children coerced into crime through trafficking and forced criminality ➡️ Children who offended against the very people who sexually abused or exploited them The average age of onset for abuse among respondents was six years old. Curious to learn more about this research? You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gRB2Gstu Jared Fishman Rory Pulvino Kelli Ross Metz Juvenile In Justice Ciara Robertson Kate Loughran Zoe Wen

Gen Z is the most tracked and surveilled generation in U.S. history. Yet our voices are almost absent in the national AI and justice conversation. That is why we wrote this book. Next Steps into Criminal Justice Activism is the first youth-authored book that documents how AI is reshaping the legal system. It is grounded in real examples and interviews with leading scholars including Professors Daniel Richman, Amber Baylor, and Colleen Shanahan. This is Gen Z defining the narrative instead of being defined by opaque algorithms. Release date: December 16, 2025 Pre-order / details: https://lnkd.in/eYmbCEnf

Another helpful resource to attend if you are interested about the growing presence of AI in the criminal justice space.

This Friday afternoon: One of the many fascinating ways AI is changing criminal justice is by helping stakeholders make good on un/under-funded reforms. In this case, California's Racial Justice Act. I'd love to see someone explore uses for NY's DVSJA and other similar instances.... Great stuff from our AI and Justice Consortium partners, the Criminal Law & Justice Center!!

The Youth Law Center is proud to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the People-First AI Fund, administered by OpenAI, to support a national effort focused on ensuring emerging technologies work for—not against—young people in foster care. As we begin 2026, young people, particularly those impacted by foster care, are navigating a year already marked by significant uncertainty, fears, and risk. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming embedded in education, housing, employment, health care, and public benefit systems at an unprecedented pace. The choices we make now will shape young people’s futures for decades to come. For young people who have experienced foster care, many of whom already navigate fragmented systems with limited access to technology, AI presents both real promise and real risk. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eY9Na88c

I've spent a lot of time arguing about the dangers of adult courts, jails, and prisons for youth and yet never written any kind of defense of a separate system of youth justice. Partially, that's because of the well-documented flaws in juvenile justice systems (making them hard to defend); partially, that's because it's easier to write a criticism than a defense. This new piece is an overview. Internally, we called it "Back to Basics." The title speaks for itself: "Youth Courts vs. Adult Courts: Why the Juvenile Justice System Works Better." I think it's a good piece for people who want to learn a little bit more about the differences between the systems (including a glossary at the top), a few key data points, some history, and an explanation of why adult criminal courts are the wrong path for youth. I imagine a lot of you know most of this already, but I hope you'll share it with friends, reporters and legislators who are looking to quickly learn a little bit more about why a separate system for youth is worth defending. https://lnkd.in/evUDwuUz

April brings us to the fourth stop in our 12 Months, 12 Policies feature for 2026. Strategies for Youth’s Model Policy #4 is “Miranda Warnings, Waiver of Rights, and Youth Interrogations.”  This policy ensures that law enforcement officers follow developmentally appropriate procedures when advising youth of their rights when conducting custodial interrogations. Policy #4 emphasizes and reiterates the well-established concept that youth are not simply mini adults. In fact, youth are uniquely vulnerable in these situations. Youth are more susceptible to coercion, to making false or unreliable statements, and more likely to misunderstand their rights. Decades of scientific research show that youth are far more likely than adults to falsely confess to crimes they did not commit. This insight is hardly controversial. Anyone who has ever been a child understands how susceptible young people are to pressure from peers and authority figures.That’s why this policy requires clear, age-appropriate Miranda warnings, meaningful opportunities to consult with parents and attorneys, and safeguards that protect a youth’s constitutional rights at every step. By establishing these standards in policy—not just practice—agencies can reduce the risk of wrongful convictions, strengthen community trust, and ensure that youth are treated lawfully during a critical moment of police contact. Read our full Model Policy #4 at: https://lnkd.in/ebkdZrQ2 #strategiesforyouth #12modelpolicies #modelpolicy4

"We can learn two things from the California example: 1) the perceived threat of algorithms can poison discourse around ending cash bail, even in arguably favorable political environments; and 2) cash bail lies at the nexus of various critiques levied at the justice system—that it privileges the wealthy, remains biased against minorities, and overall advances an over-carceral institution... ending cash bail [does not] need to be synonymous with using algorithmic assessment tools, whose merits can and should be debated."

🎙️ The latest episode of Season 5 of the Youth Justice in Action #Podcast has just been released - listen to a preview! ⭐ S5 - Ep. 2: More Than a Name: The Gault Center and the Future of Youth Defense, featuring Mary Ann Scali What does it actually mean to defend a young person's rights? In this episode, our Executive Director John Tuell speaks with Mary Ann Scali, Executive Director at The Gault Center to explore nearly 30 years of evolution in the fight for youth justice. We talk about the 1967 Supreme Court ruling that gave the organization its name, why In re Gault remains as relevant as ever as we mark its 60th anniversary, and what it looks like when youth defenders are doing this work at its best; meeting young people where they are, strengthening connections to community, and pushing back against a system that too often pulls youth deeper in rather than offering a way out. From the tools and resources TGC provides to defenders on the ground, to the bold reforms on the horizon like reimagining probation, this conversation is a window into what genuine, rights-based youth defense looks like in practice, and why it matters now more than ever. 🎧 Listen on your favorite app or on our website: 🔗#Podcast Webpage: https://lnkd.in/gX8HCPUi 🔗#Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/eSWTWX5m 🔗#Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e5eZYiHz 🔗#YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eU7u73dc