Seeking Improvement of the Law, Access to the Legal System, Administration of Justice, and Quality of Service
This Empowered Strategies blog series will explore topics focused on empowering educators, understanding the school-to-prison pipeline, and ultimately disrupting that pipeline. To be abundantly clear— this line of work is not solely the responsibility of teachers or administrators. Every community member has a role to play in making a difference to the thousands of youth that encounter these systems on a daily basis. My understanding of this this problem set is framed from a legal perspective.
When a person decides to become an attorney in the United States there are a number of prerequisite courses that are needed in order to earn a Juris Doctorate. Years ago in my law school, students were required to take a Professional Responsibility course in order to graduate. When I was a prosecutor there were trainings I often attended to keep abreast of my responsibilities as well as events hosted by local bar associations to keep informed on current legal trends. Reading through the Maryland Attorneys’ Rules of Professional Conduct, on section six of the preamble, the rules state “As a public citizen, an attorney should seek improvement of the law, access to the legal system, the administration of justice and the quality of service rendered by the legal profession.”
There is a distinct responsibility an attorney has outlined in the paragraph above. It argues being an attorney is more than fulfilling the duties required during a nine to five workday. It is a lifestyle. It is an honor and privilege to be in a profession that encourages individuals to work on improving the law, access to the legal system, administering justice, and the type of service delivery offered to individuals. Educators share in this unique professional responsibility. Educators are focused every day in improving educational outcomes for their students, expanding access to education, and administering lessons in dynamic and evolving ways. As the challenges students and families face evolve, the work of lawyers and educators are converging. I am eager to help equip educators with the tools they need to fulfill their mission.
To begin this series, the blog will focus on exploring juvenile delinquency and status offenses.
Juvenile Delinquency is an act committed by a youth that would otherwise be considered a crime if committed by an adult. Whereas a status offense is an act committed by an underage youth that is considered illegal, that would otherwise would be legal if committed by an adult; such as smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol underage.
Over fifty years ago, the U.S. President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice argued that “America's best hope for reducing crime is to reduce juvenile delinquency and youth crime.” This commission under President Lyndon Johnson, was made up of lawyers, educators, law enforcement officers, social workers and more argued that prevention is the answer to reducing juvenile crime by focusing efforts on the problems in :
youths’ neighborhoods,
families,
peers,
schools, and
employment opportunities.
It was noted in the report that the recidivism rates for young offenders were higher than those for any other age group. The notion of looking into a youth’s social environment still rings true today.
Stay tuned to this blog series to learn more about juvenile delinquency, the school-to-prison pipeline, and opportunities to address the prevalence within the school context.
Resources Referenced