The past decade has seen tumultuous scandal followed by improvements in the juvenile justice system in Texas. Although the abuses in the system were discovered in 2007, they had been occurring for several years. The news that some staff were sexually assaulting children in the system while others ignored the reports broke shortly before the 80th Legislature met (Levin and Moll, 1). The Legislature took immediate corrective action to prevent this sort of tragedy from ever reoccurring. However, the reforms did not end there. Instead, the government continued to remedy systemic problems, making Texas a benchmark for juvenile justice across the country.
Criminal Justice
Sentencing reform is critical for youth in the justice system
As states across the country move to right-size their prison systems, managing to reduce incarceration, costs and crime, it is important to consider reform at the federal level as well. And when it comes to reforming our sentencing laws, there seems no better place to start than with the most vulnerable among us: our children....
September 17, 2018