Talk Justice Tuesday 2023: A Youth-Centered Approach
Talk Justice Tuesday is a state legislative series to discuss the issues and solutions that are important to communities impacted by criminal legal systems and identify strategies for moving forward. We’ll dive deep into specific criminal legal policy questions, and hear from community members, advocates, and lawmakers about opportunities for reform in 2023 and beyond.
In our 2023 series, we'll explore what true safety can look like through a youth-centered approach, highlighting what evidence-based practices are working well in our state and providing alternatives and solutions to long-standing problems we’ve yet to tackle. Viewers will hear from advocates from across the state, those most directly-impacted by less than effective legislation, and ultimately, learn how to advance necessary reforms both at the State Capitol and in our own communities.
Meet Us Where We Are: Alternatives to Criminalization
Tuesday, January 24 @ 6pmYouth who become entangled in the juvenile legal system and potentially incarcerated has proven to be costly, ineffective, and causes deep harm and trauma to young people. Recent research in developmental psychology and rehabilitative best practices are showing that states and localities should adopt a different approach that protects public safety and is more informed by evidence of what works. With a focus on juvenile reform in Chatham County, a county that once had the highest number of court-involved youth in the state of Georgia, you'll leave understanding from justice stakeholders on what is working and how we can create safer communities by diverting young people from the justice system and providing them the resources they need.
Protecting Youth: Redefining School Safety
Tuesday, February 7 @ 6pmData has long shown that Black and Brown students experience suspension and expulsion at much higher rates than their white peers and that as adults, they're also disproportionately represented in our jails and prison system. This discussion will focus on how public safety in our schools must take into account the clear and negative consequences of exclusionary discipline practices for young students, especially young students of color, often which not only lead to the juvenile legal system but often create a clear pathway to the adult legal system. With a focus on what is happening in Gwinnett County, you'll leave understanding from directly impacted youth what solutions they need and what solutions are proving to work around the state, and how you can advocate for them.
Justice Deferred: Detaining Youth
Tuesday, February 21 @ 6pmAccording to the ACLU, an estimated 250,000 youth are prosecuted in adult criminal courts and subjected to the consequences of adult criminal convictions. In addition, 36 states continue to incarcerate youth under 18 in adult jails and prisons, where young people are at greater risk of degrading mental health, dying by completing suicide and both physical and sexual assault. The over-representation of youth of color in youth detention centers and adult prisons remains a persistent and troubling dynamic. Nowhere is that more present than in the state of Georgia, where many are still seeking the unfulfilled promises of bi-partisan juvenile reform that prioritizes raising the age, ending juvenile life without parole, and reexamining sentencing youth as adults. Join us for legislative solutions we know will honor the humanity of young people and prove not only cost-effective but work in transforming safety for our families and communities.