Juvenile Justice Week

“A Call to a Juvenile Justice System That Heals”

The third annual Juvenile Justice Week of Faith was observed on February 15-21, 2010.  This event was sponsored by Faith Communities for Families and Children to unite faith communities to raise awareness of the needs of the children and families impacted by the juvenile justice system.

Did you know?….

• In California, it is a daily occurrence in the juvenile justice system to sentence youth to life in prison.Statistics show that only 1% of the youth serving life sentences parole out.  Even harsher in California is the sentencing of youth to life without the possibility of parole which means that they will die in prison without parole.  It also means that they have limited access to programs and rehabilitative services in prison.
• International human rights law strictly prohibits life without the possibility of parole for youth and the United States in the only country in the world to sentence youth to life in prison with no opportunity for parole (Fair Sentencing for Youth).

Juvenile Justice (JJ) Week offers the opportunity to act on behalf of a juvenile justice system that brings healing to all involved including victims, offenders, families and the community.  It means engaging the parish, school, or faith group with the issues of juvenile justice in whatever way is most appropriate through prayer, advocacy, and education.

JJ Week of Faith: Links and Handouts

• Children Tried as Adults Fact sheet, CA
• Juvenile Justice Fact Sheet, CAThe Blood Offering of Our Children: An Interfaith Reflection on Life Sentences for Youth
• Prayer Booklet
• Prayer Booklet en Español

JJ Week of Faith: Prayers

• Christian Prayers of the Faithful Oraciones de los Fiele
• JJ Week of Faith Restorative Justice Prayer
• Prayer for Children
• Prayer for Justice
• Dozen Things You Can Do

Check out the following web sites to find out more about JJ:

• Fair Sentencing for Youth
• Faith Communities for Families and Children
• Human Rights Watch