The Adolescent Law Group

Public Interest and Transformative Justice Professionals 

Dedicated to Keeping Our Young People Out of the Prison Pipeline!

 

 

 

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The Adolescent Law Group is a Mission-Related Subsidiary of The Advocacy Foundation, Inc.

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Its Mission is to provide the local indigent communities with high-power legal services for Juvenile, and some Adult, Court matters.  The underlying objective is to help balance the scales of justice for young persons, their families, and their communities, which are otherwise unable to obtain zealous and adequate professional support.

 

The ALG relies exclusively on funding from firms, foundations, corporations, government grants, individual and Private donations through social networking, as well as limited pro-bono support from attorneys where needed.

 

The Juvenile Court System

 

The underlying rationale of the juvenile court system is that youth are developmentally different from adults and that their behavior is malleable. Rehabilitation and treatment, therefore, in addition to community protection, are considered to be primary and viable goals.

 

Moreover, limitations are placed on public access to juvenile records because of the belief that juvenile offenders can be successfully rehabilitated, and to avoid their unnecessary stigmatization. The juvenile justice system follows a psychological casework approach, rather than a strict adherence to legal processes, taking into account a detailed assessment of each youth's history in order to meet his or her specific needs. The juvenile offender faces an adjudicatory hearing, rather than a trial, which incorporates his/ her social history as well as the relevant legal factors. Court proceedings are generally confidential in order to protect privacy.

 

The Right to Counsel

 

The ALG provides Juvenile Court services for the local indigent community.  The types of services range from Delinquency to Dependency matters and, due to the nature of the proceedings, may include help for family members of dependents as well as for those of the accused young persons. 

 

Our services may be provided to individuals who qualify for them using the “Advocates Minimum Qualification System”, and/or a “Sliding-Fee Scale”, based on a variety of factors including income, access to similar services, and the type of assistance needed.

 

Although everyone has certain rights, advocates are generally required for someone to enforce and assert them vigorously and properly. This is generally not a problem for people with resources, but for those without them, their rights are often compromised. ALS reverses this trend by offering high-level assistance to those who could not otherwise afford it.

 

Juvenile Justice Practices Vary

from One Jurisdiction to Another

 

Juvenile Justice systems vary widely between communities.  If a child becomes involved in the juvenile justice system, their first step is to learn how the system in which s/he is caught-up actually works. Successful navigation through this system, however, should result in the preservation of his or her prospects for the future.

 

Key parental, and/ or guardian questions for arresting juvenile authorities should include, but by no means be limited to, the following:

 

• Why was the child arrested?

• Will s/he have to be detained, or can s/he be released into the custody of a parent or caregiver?  Will we need to post bond?

• Will the child have a record simply as a result of the arrest?

• What happens next?

• Whom should the parent or caregiver speak with to get assistance if the child is referred to juvenile court?

 

In many cases, particularly for minor offenses or a first-time arrest, young persons will be released into their parent or caregiver's custody.  They also may be diverted into a community service program where they will be expected to perform volunteer services, or participate in a variety of curricular and/ or extra-curricular activities.  In exchange, the charges against them may be dropped or modified.

 

If the child is referred to Juvenile Court, what happens next will depend on the structure of the local system, the quality of Defense Counsel, the actions of the Prosecutor's Office, and the availability of appropriate Diversionary Resources or Treatment Programs. 

 

Although they cannot offer legal advice, Prosecution and Juvenile Court staff may generally know what to expect from the process. Juvenile Court staff includes Intake or Probation department staff who often conduct Preliminary Investigations. These investigations can provide Juvenile Court Judges with limited background information often used in the Disposition (Sentencing) phase of the process.

 

Organizational Objectives

 

The objectives for our next five years of operation include:

 

• To provide high-level and vigorous assistance for eligible young persons and their families who could not otherwise afford it;

• To increase funding and donations by at least 20% per year.

 

The ALG may also provide assistance to people who do not qualify for other types of aid because:

 

• They do not fit the economic profile(s) for indigency but never-the-less cannot afford high-level assistance;

• The other organizations do not have the time, resources, or do not specialize in the particular area(s) of help needed;

• ALS is in constant contact with the other organizations to develop ongoing referral systems to support local indigent communities.