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ASIAN LAW CAUCUS
JUVENILE JUSTICE PROGRAM
Earlier this year, Ms. W, a Cantonese speaking immigrant called the Asian Law Caucus asking
for help for her teenage son who was detained
in juvenile hall. She heard there was going to
be a trial for her son in days but she did not
know the name of her child’s attorney, the
name of the probation officer assigned to the case, or even what crimes her child was
charged with. All too often, even in San Francisco, a city with a long history of Asian Pacific Islander presence, language and
cultural barriers in the juvenile justice system prevent immigrant parents from providing essential support for their children.
The Asian Law Caucus launched the Juvenile Justice Project in November, 2006 to assist immigrant families to navigate the juvenile
justice system and to breakdown the barriers that prevent immigrant families from advocating for and participation in the rehabilitation of
their children.
ALC’s program includes a three-pronged approach:
1. direct legal representation;
2. know your rights education for families,
youth, and youth provides; and
3. state and
local policy advocacy to develop and implement procedures that provide immigrant families with language accessible and culturally competent services at each stage in the juvenile system.
This young project has already shown results. Ms. W was advised on how to obtain essential information in her child’s case and was able to participate in the process. Her son has been given an opportunity to rehabilitate at home
with the assistance of counseling services
and an intensive mentoring program, instead
of being locked up in a detention facility for
one year.
For more information, contact Angela Chan,
staff attorney in the Juvenile Justice Project.
Ms. Chan’s work is funded by a Soros Justice Fellowship from Open Society Institute and an Irving Kaufman Fellow from Harvard Law School. |
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“Judges want to see families participate every step of the way. When they don’t see families advocating in the courtroom or in meetings with probation officers due to language and cultural barriers, they assume that they don’t care.
This leads to harsh sentencing consequences
for the youth, such as placement out of the home,” according to Sarah Wan, Executive Director of CYC (formerly Chinatown Youth Center). |
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