Citizens for Juvenile Justice

10/13/2026

"Leon Smith has seen school vouchers in action all over the country. And no matter where he has been, he has never liked what he saw... He watched as vouchers "(siphoned) away public funds into a model that has left a trail of broken promises with respect to improvement and increased struggles for public schools," he said Monday. "Every dollar that goes into a voucher program is a dollar that does not go into our public schools."

The last thing he wants is for them to take root in Massachusetts, where the fight over school vouchers has become a flashpoint in this year's race for the Governor's Office."

A federal school voucher program is turning into one of the most politically charged education fights of the Mass. governor's race.

10/06/2026

The General Election is right around the corner! Make your voting plan and mark these important dates on your calendar:

October 24: Last day to register to vote
October 27: Last day to apply for a mail-in ballot
October 17–30: Early voting
November 3: General Election Day

Save these dates, make a plan, and make your voice heard this November!

https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/

10/02/2026

Vermont Reduces Recidivism by 70% with Raise the Age! The state commissioned a report to evaluate the impact of raising the age on recidivism of justice-involved 18-year-olds and found that the recidivism rate of 18-year-olds dropped from 24% to 7%!

Massachusetts has a bill pending that would follow Vermont’s example by raising the upper age of juvenile jurisdictions over the eighteenth birthday (as part of a larger economic development bill, S.2856). Take action and urge your legislators to show their support for Raise the Age!

Take action and read the report here:

Email from Citizens for Juvenile Justice Pass Raise the Age in MA The state of Vermont was the first state to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include 18-year-olds since July 2020. The state

09/30/2026

Help us reach 1,000 signatures for Raise the Age and Clean Slate!

The MA State Senate passed two amendments to the Economic Development bill that could have a life-changing impact on thousands of people in Massachusetts. One would Raise the Age of juvenile court jurisdiction to include 18-year-olds. The other would bring Massachusetts into the 21st Century by automating the sealing of juvenile and criminal records.

This is the closest we have been to seeing Raise the Age and Clean Slate pass before the year ends! Because these provisions did not pass the House, they are now before a six-member conference committee, which will decide what makes it into the final bill.

Take one easy action: Send a short one-click message to your state representative and state senator asking them to contact the Conference Committee directly with their support for Raise the Age and Clean Slate.

Take action at raisetheagema.org/take-action

Then, help spread the word and share why young people are leading the advocacy for Raise the Age.

09/29/2026

"The Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) released a new policy brief examining barriers to equitable access to state services for children and families who speak languages other than English.

More than a quarter of Massachusetts residents speak a language other than English at home, a rate that is growing faster than the national average. For children and families navigating child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, and other state services, the ability to communicate effectively in the language they speak is essential to accessing and receiving quality care and support."

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09/25/2026

Clean Slate would boost the Massachusetts economy and help everyone!

Clean Slate legislation is pending that would automate the record sealing process so that close to a half-million individuals, including young people with juvenile records, would immediately have most of their cases sealed after the applicable waiting periods are completed. Criminal records of any kind are a huge driver of poverty, unemployment, and lifetime barriers to economic stability and personal success.

Help us get Clean Slate passed this year. Please ask your state senator or state rep ASAP to contact members of the Conference Committee and ask them to include Clean Slate in the Economic Development bill. Learn more here: https://conta.cc/4AtrtiU

09/24/2026

Citizens for Juvenile Justice invites you to join us on December 9th for our Annual Leadership Celebration! Together, we’ll celebrate and honor those advancing equity and justice for young people.

Register here: https://cjj.betterworld.org/events/cfjj-annual-leadership-celebration

09/22/2026

Across the country, the rights of students and families are under threat. With federal civil rights protections being rolled back, students and families have fewer avenues for support when facing discrimination, mistreatment, or harassment. But there are still protections available at the state and local level.

The National Center for Youth Law’s Education Defense Fund has created a resource outlining civil rights protections available to students and families in every state and Washington, D.C., along with information about where to turn for support.

Check out this resource to learn more about the protections available in your state:

The State of Civil Rights for Students and Schools Across the country, the rights of students and families are under threat.The Trump Administration has abdicated its responsibility for protecting the civil rights of students. Federal civil rights offices that were dedicated to protecting students a...

09/17/2026

Thank you so much for your partnership National Youth Justice Network - NYJN!

09/17/2026

Courts are NOT treatment for kids!

We’re proud to celebrate CRA reform that helps keep young people out of court and ensures they can access the support they need in their communities.

Thank you to our partners at Parent/Professional Advocacy League for these awesome shirts and for all your advocacy to make this possible!