Citizens for Juvenile Justice

08/24/2026

“District attorneys are amongst the most powerful figures in the criminal legal system. Their decisions have a direct outcome on everything, from case outcomes to recidivism to addressing mass incarceration...If elected, they have the opportunity to be a force for change in the legal system. They can simply uphold the status quo, or in some cases they can shift their approach in such a way that some would consider regressive,” - Leon Smith

08/20/2026

The Youth Justice Primary Voter Guide is now Live!

Our 2026 Voter Guides are now available to help Massachusetts voters prepare for the upcoming primary and general elections.

Resources include:

Voter rights and Know Your Rights information
Key primary and general election dates
Information about the roles of state legislators, the Governor’s Council, and District Attorneys
Candidate guides by county, including candidate questionnaires and legislative scorecards
An interactive look at the cradle-to-prison pipeline and the role elected officials play in these systems

View the 2026 Voter Guides:

Understand where candidates stand on issues impacting youth justice in any of the 8 Governor’s Council districts; 40 State Senate districts and 160 State Representative districts

08/19/2026

New research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation exam­ined edu­ca­tion and juve­nile jus­tice data for high school stu­dents in Massachusetts and found that a sin­gle out-of-school sus­pen­sion raised the like­li­hood of court involve­ment 18 per­cent­age points to 49%, with repeat­ed sus­pen­sions fur­ther increas­ing that risk. "School Dis­ci­pline, Juve­nile Jus­tice Sys­tem Involve­ment, and Aca­d­e­m­ic Attain­ment" also found that students sus­pend­ed dur­ing their first year of high school had a 59% like­li­hood of jus­tice sys­tem involve­ment. That fig­ure rose to 64% for those sus­pend­ed for five days or more. This high­lights the impor­tance of ear­ly high school expe­ri­ences and the poten­tial long-term con­se­quences of remov­ing stu­dents from the class­room dur­ing this piv­otal tran­si­tion year.

New research shows out-of-school suspension can have lasting consequences for students, especially in ninth grade. See the data.

08/18/2026

Understanding the cradle-to-prison pipeline starts with understanding the systems that shape young people's opportunities and outcomes. Elected officials’ policies and practices may expand or reduce this pipeline. Swipe to learn more and find additional info on our Prezi: https://prezi.com/view/JPcc0hcs2NCCw9ehQwEI/

08/17/2026

Congratulations to Team CfJJ on an incredible Falmouth Road Race! We’re so grateful to all of our runners for supporting CfJJ and helping raise funds for our work to advance equitable youth justice in Massachusetts.

You can still support Team CfJJ and help us reach our fundraising goal! Donate here: https://raceroster.com/events/2026/112177/the-2026-asics-falmouth-road-race/fundraising-organization/84210?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleATPTCBwZG9mAmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp4w8jS3ffuHO-YRfrsj9dWzGASscexv1TrWHpERKkICiMjzazZvGPY1rSem4_aem_zJSN13AjJ0HHmPu8knyKFQ

Thank you, Team CfJJ!

08/12/2026

"Massachusetts last increased the age of criminal majority in 2013, allowing many 17-year-olds to remain part of the juvenile justice system instead of facing charges in adult court. Since then, arrests of people younger than 18 have fallen by more than half, and Juvenile Court caseloads have declined significantly, according to data compiled by Citizens for Juvenile Justice. Advocates think that suggests the system has enough capacity to account for the added demands of steering many 18-year-olds through Juvenile Court."

House and Senate negotiators hashing out a final deal on a sweeping jobs and business support package need to decide whether the measure should also embrace a major criminal justice reform: allowing many 18-year-olds to be tried in the youth justice system, not adult courts.

08/11/2026

Are you ready for Primary Election Day on September 1, with early voting August 22-28?

Join us August 13th for a webinar training for voters and youth organizers to understand who is on the ballot, what is at stake, and voter education resources that you can use to support your voter education work. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/VoterEd-Primary2026

08/11/2026

Did you know that many state and local races are decided in the Primary Election?

From District Attorneys and the Governor’s Council to state legislators, elected officials play a major role in shaping our justice system, including whether youth justice reforms succeed or fail.

Yet, according to the ACLU of Massachusetts, 4 in 10 voters don’t know that District Attorneys are elected, and more than half don’t realize the significant role DAs play in the justice system. Even fewer know about the Governor’s Council, despite how deeply these positions can shape how our systems treat young people.

Join us Thursday for the release of our Youth Justice Voter Guide and Election Forum with special guests from the ACLU of MA, Common Cause MA and youth organizers and other partners from across the Commonwealth who shaped this voter guide. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/VoterEd-Primary2026

08/05/2026

"From a budgetary perspective, changing the policy means giving a small amount of money to a small number of young adults. From a human perspective, this could help a young adult who had a difficult childhood get an education, buy a car to get to work, or remain housed while they figure out their next steps. That’s worth the money."

Young adults living with a parent should still be eligible for support payments.

08/05/2026