THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE is again debating whether to raise the age of Juvenile Court jurisdiction to include 18 to 20-year-old youth. The last time the state raised the age was […]
Jay Blitzman
Posted inCourts, Opinion, Race/Racism, State Government
Open the doors to closed juvenile sessions
THE APPARENT DEATH of Harmony Montgomery following her placement with her father in New Hampshire has fueled emotionally charged discussions regarding what happened in court, legal questions about the Interstate […]
Posted inOpinion
We need truth and reconciliation
MASSACHUSETTS IS NOT IMMUNE from the pandemic of systemic racism. Recent reports document that racial and ethnic disparities persist at every level of our juvenile and criminal systems. In November […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
Legislature must seize the opportunity for ‘expungement’ reform
BRYAN STEVENSON, the renowned attorney and civil rights activist, says that “each one of us is more than the worst thing we have done.” This is especially true for adolescents. […]
Posted inOpinion
It’s time to raise the age
IT’S TIME TO BREAK the logjam on Beacon Hill and raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction above 18. Racial and ethnic disparities exist in both the juvenile and criminal […]
Posted inOpinion
Police aren’t needed in schools
IN THE AFTERMATH of George Floyd’s killing, Minneapolis has canceled its contract with city police to patrol its schools. Portland and Denver have acted similarly. As we engage in conversations […]
Posted inOpinion
Where you live matters
THE PANDEMIC HAS UNMASKED the reality of the separate and palpably unequal worlds we inhabit and implicates critical issues of race and class. Given our history, this “reveal” should not […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
All kids deserve a second chance
“DO YOU BELIEVE in second chances?” That is the most commonly asked question I receive when I speak to students as part of judicial-school outreach. My answer is always the […]