ACTION ALERT--DC COUNCIL TO CONSIDER JUVENILE CONFIDENTIALITY BILL TOMORROW 9/21

ACTION ALERT: CALL DC COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 20 & 21!!

AMEND YOUTH INFORMATION SHARING LEGISLATION

OVERVIEW:

On Tuesday, September 21st, the DC Council will consider “expanding access to juvenile records” legislation that would make many records for youth involved in the juvenile justice system publicly available. This bill also would allow officials - such as police officers - to share information on youth involved in the juvenile justice system arrest with the youth’s school, even if the youth’s only contact with the juvenile justice system was an arrest for a minor incident.

Sharing information has negative effects for youth and may keep youth from getting on the right track - Sharing information on youth involved in the juvenile justice system has been shown to have long-lasting effects. These effects include creating trouble for youth trying to join the armed services or get a job, financial aid for college, an apartment, or a driver’s license - things that help youth become positive, law-abiding members of society. In addition, keeping juvenile records private is one of the main, critical differences between the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems and recognizes the ability of youth involved in the juvenile justice system to change later in their lives. Making the record of a youth’s involvement with the juvenile justice public means that even when the youth is an adult, he may face barriers and discrimination from potential employers and landlords who will now have access to his juvenile record.

On September 20^th, please contact members of the DC Council and ask them to support amendments to this bill that would keep the records of these youth confidential!

We need your help to ask the DC Council to:

Strike the bill’s public disclosure section, which permits any member of the public to access the records of certain youth. For certain crimes, this legislation would allow only one strike before making a juvenile’s record public and would deny the juvenile the opportunity to benefit from the very rehabilitative services the system was designed to deliver. This type of public disclosure makes it very difficult for youth to overcome past actions and make positive changes in their lives
Strike the information sharing section, which allows information regarding any youth involved in the juvenile justice system to be shared with his principal, teacher, school counselor or with any licensed social worker or other mental health provider. Information shared with these groups can lead to increased stigmatization or lowered expectations of youth, and could be misused by leading to fewer services being delivered to isolated youth rather than more.
Support aggregate data collection to increase the accountability of the court and agencies whose mission it is to rehabilitate and treat troubled youth!

CONTACT DC COUNCIL:

On Monday, September 20^th, please contact 1) the Councilmember for your Ward, 2) the DC Council Chair, and 3) the At-Large Councilmembers who represent all of DC. Their contact information can be found at the bottom of this alert.

SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS:

--Hi! I'd like to speak to Council member _________.

[If they are not available, ask to speak to the staff person who handles juvenile justice or youth issues. Speak to that person if they are available. If neither is available, ask to leave a brief voice message for the staff.]

My name is _____ and I live in Ward ___ [or represent ____ organization].

I understand that on Tuesday, September 21^st, the DC Council will consider “expanding access to juvenile records” legislation which would make many juvenile records for certain youth publicly available, and would allow broad sharing of juvenile records with schools and mental health providers for any youth who has had even minimal contact with the juvenile justice system.

The Expanded Access to Juvenile Records legislation:

--Harms children’s futures because it negatively impacts their educational and employment opportunities;

--Stigmatizes children most in need of services;

--Increases racial disparities in DC’s juvenile justice system as youth of color will be most impacted by this punitive and harmful legislation.

I urge you to protect youths’ futures and amend the Expanded Access legislation by:

--Striking the public disclosure section, which permits any member of the public to access the records of certain juvenile offenders;

--Striking the information sharing section, which allows the records of any juvenile to be shared with his principal, teacher, school counselor or mental health provider; and

-- Support aggregate data collection to ensure that the court and other agencies are treating and rehabilitating troubled youth.

Here's my address _____________ and I would appreciate a written response to my concerns.

[If you are talking to a staff member, ask them to share your concerns with the council member BEFORE Tuesday’s meeting].

Thank you for your consideration.

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR COUNCIL OFFICES:

Vincent C. Gray, Council Chairman

vgray@dccouncil.us

(202) 724-8032

Phil Mendelson, Judiciary Committee Chair (At-Large)

pmendelson@dccouncil.us

(202) 724-8064

Kwame R. Brown, Councilmember (At-Large)