Former New York State Judges Join Experts in Calling for Juvenile Justice Reform in New York in NYLS Law Review

                                                                                                                           

New York, NY (May 14, 2012)—Just weeks after New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo highlighted the need for reform of the state’s juvenile justice system by including in his 2012–2013 budget the Close to Home Initiative, which would allow New York City to take custody of low-level juvenile offenders by removing them from youth prisons and housing them in their own communities, Judith S. Kaye, former Chief Judge of New York and now Of Counsel for Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP; Michael A. Corriero, Executive Director of the New York Center for Juvenile Justice and a former New York State judge; and Jeremy Travis, President of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the City University of New York, join several juvenile justice experts in an in-depth examination of all phases of New York’s juvenile justice system. This call for reform of what some see as New York’s outdated approach to juvenile justice appears in the latest issue of the New York Law School Law Review.

“These articles come at a critical moment for juvenile justice in New York. It is becoming increasingly apparent that New York’s approach to dealing with young offenders is incongruous with research on adolescent behavior and studies demonstrating that the prosecution of children in adult courts is not effective,” said Judge Corriero, who served as a judge in the New York State courts for 28 years and founded the New York Center for Juvenile Justice. “As more and more kids are criminalized, and more and more families and communities are affected by this misguided approach, we are now reaching the point of critical mass where the people will demand that children be treated with the respect and sensitivity which they are due.”

Several authors contributing to this Law Review issue take a critical view of New York’s system, including aggressive policing both on NYC streets and in NYC public schools and stop-and-frisk policies directed at minority youth, while others offer possible solutions. The issue features the following articles (available here), which were presented at a symposium sponsored by theDiane Abbey Law Center for Children and Families in 2011 at New York Law School:

  • Foreword: The Past, Present, and Future of Juvenile Justice Reform in New York State by Stephen A. Newman, Professor of Law at New York Law School.
  • Juvenile Justice Reform: Now Is the Moment, by Judith S. Kaye, Of Counsel, Skadden, Arps, Meagher, Slate & Flom LLP, and former Chief Judge of the State of New York.
  •  Reflections on Juvenile Justice Reform in New York, by Jeremy Travis, President, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the City University of New York; Chair, Governor’s Task Force on Transforming Juvenile Justice (2008-2009).
  • Judging Children as Children: Reclaiming New York’s Progressive Tradition by Michael A. Corriero, Executive Director of the New York Center for Juvenile Justice and former New York State Judge.
  • Criminalizing the Classroom: The Rise of Aggressive Policing and Zero Tolerance Discipline in New York City Public Schools by Udi Ofer, Advocacy Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union and Adjunct Professor at New York Law School.
  • When the Cure Makes You Ill: Seven Core Principles to Change the Course of Youth Justice by Gabrielle Prisco, Director, Juvenile Justice Project, The Correctional Association of New York.
  • Reducing Juvenile Detention: Notes from an Experiment on Staten Island by Nancy L. Fishman, Project Director for Youth Justice Programs at the Center for Court Innovation.
  • Growing Up Policed in the Age of Aggressive Policing Policies by Brett G. Stoudt, Assistant Professor, joint appointment in the Psychology Department and Gender Studies Program, John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Michelle Fine, Professor of Psychology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York; and Madeline Fox, Ph.D. candidate in Social-Personality Psychology at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

To view or download the articles, visit the Law Review’s website at www.nylslawreview.com. They are also available through LexisNexis, Westlaw, and HeinOnline. See 56 N.Y.L. Sch. L. Rev. 1263-1502 (2011–12). Questions? Contact the Law Review at law_review@nyls.edu or 212.431.2109.


About the New York Law School Law Review
The New York Law School Law Review is a journal of legal scholarship edited and published by students at New York Law School four times a year. The Law Review is the largest law review in the United States, with 2011–2012 membership of more than 170 students, led by an editorial board assisted by staff editors, online staff editors, and members, working together with a full-time faculty publisher, to make all editorial and publication decisions. The Law Review has both a scholarly and an educational mission. It serves as an academic forum for legal scholarship by sponsoring four symposia each year and publishing the scholarship produced through those events. The Law Review also offers its students an important learning and professional development experience, providing opportunities for members to develop their writing, research, and editing skills, as well as other skills that are important for the successful practice of law, including communication, organizational, and project management skills. The Law Review is printed by Joe Christensen, Inc., in Lincoln, Nebraska. Its editorial and general offices are located at New York Law School, 185 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013. Symposium proposals may be submitted to the Law Review by U.S. mail or via e-mail at law_review@nyls.edu. Tel. 212.431.2109; www.nylslawreview.com.
 

Press Contacts:

Nancy Guida, VP of Marketing and Communications
212.431.2325
nancy.guida@nyls.edu