TeamChild
1225 S Weller St, Ste 420
Seattle, WA 98144
Phone: 206-322-2444
Fax: 206-281- 1742
Web: www.teamchild.org
Anne Lee
Phone: 206-322-2444
Email: questions@teamchild.org
TeamChild began in 1995 as an innovative partnership between public defenders and civil legal aid attorneys who were frustrated to see children cycle in and out of the juvenile justice system without receiving assistance to address the underlying causes of their delinquency. Since then, TeamChild has been upholding the legal rights of marginalized youth across Washington State by breaking down barriers at the intersection of the education, mental health, child welfare, and juvenile justice systems.
TeamChild’s mission and core values feed and support a variety of strategies including direct representation, community education, and policy and systemic advocacy. All of TeamChild’s strategies aim to keep youth out of the juvenile justice system by meeting their needs in the community. Ensuring that youth have a voice in every decision-making arena is a priority. TeamChild is working to strategically eliminate exclusionary school discipline practices that disproportionately impact youth of color, youth with disabilities, and youth living in poverty, and to eliminate the use of the juvenile justice system as the default mental health provider for children struggling with mental health issues. TeamChild also is leading and participating in juvenile justice reform efforts to:
- Reduce disproportionate presence of youth of color and youth with disabilities in juvenile justice system;
- Mitigate the negative consequences of juvenile court involvement and incarceration; and
- Improve the quality and access to legal representation for children.
Found 27 matches.
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Reclaiming Students: the Educational and Economic Costs of Exclusionary Discipline in Washington State
Tags: Washington | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Reports | Member Publications
This report focuses on the effects of exclusionary discipline in Washington State.
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Transfer of Juveniles to Criminal Court is Not Correlated with Falling Youth Violence
Tags: Arizona | California | Florida | Ohio | Oregon | Washington | Youth in the Adult System | Reports
Jeffrey Butts of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice points out that the increase in juvenile transfers to adult court is not correlated with the fall in youth violence seen over the past six years.
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Washington Joint Legislative Task Force on Sealing Juvenile Records, Report, January 2012
Tags: Washington | Collateral Consequences | Confidentiality | Reports
2011 law established a joint legislative task force on sealing juvenile records, whose final report includes various proposals around record sealing along with cost estimates.
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Washington Standardizes Definition of Unexcused Absence, H.B. 1087
Tags: Washington | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Legislation
Thanks in part to the MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change initiative, and pursuant to legislative requirements, the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction developed a uniform definition of excused and unexcused absences to be used across the state. Prior to the standardization of the definition, schools allowed different numbers of unexcused absences prior to filing a petition in juvenile court. School districts are now required to report school absence data using the new definition.
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Washington Eliminates Duty to Register for Certain Individuals, S.B. 5204
Tags: Washington | Collateral Consequences | Sex Offender Registries | Legislation
Five years after their release from confinement, individuals in Washington convicted of a Class A felony sex or kidnapping offense at the age of 15 or older no longer have to register as sex offenders. Similarly situated individuals who were 14 years old or younger at the time of the offense, or individuals convicted of a non-Class A sex or kidnapping offense, may petition the court to be relieved of the duty to register two years after their release from confinement. The legislation also creates a uniform burden of proof for individuals who petition the court for relief from the duty to register as sex offenders for offenses committed as juveniles, and allows authorities to seal most juvenile sex offense records when the convicted individual has been relieved of the duty to register and complied with all other statutory requirements.
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Washington Youth May Petition Courts to Seal Certain Records; Legislature Protects Youth from Consumer Reporting, H.B. 1793
Tags: Washington | Collateral Consequences | Confidentiality | Legislation
Washington State juvenile courts may seal the records of youth who committed Class A felonies and sex offenses. The law also states that if a youth receives a full and unconditional pardon, the proceedings in the matter upon which the pardon was granted must be treated as if they never occurred, and the youth may reply accordingly to any inquiry; all court and law enforcement records must be destroyed within 30 days. Lastly—addressing a practice that keeps many formerly system-involved youth from achieving their career goals—law now prohibits any consumer reporting agency from including in a consumer report the subject’s juvenile records if he or she is 21 years of age or older at the time of the report.
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Juvenile Justice 101 Toolkit
Tags: Washington | Family and Youth Involvement | Juvenile Defense and Court Process | Partner Publications
Juvenile Justice 101 is an project of the MacArthur Foundations Models for Change initiative. The toolkit is an interactive guide for how to implement the program in another jurisdiction.
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Educating Juveniles in Adult Jails: A Program Guide, Washington, July 2010
Tags: Washington | Youth in the Adult System | Reports
Law requires that all youth held in adult jails in Washington be provided with educational programming. The legislation mandates that the educational programs adhere to educational standards for the district, and the programs must offer credits that are transferable to community schools. The state developed regulations and a program guide written by educational professionals in order to implement the statute.
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Washington Prosecutors Must Divert Youth Prostitution Cases if First Offense, S.B. 6476
Tags: Washington | Girls | Victims | Legislation
In 2009, the Washington State Legislature passed a law allowing a prosecutor to divert a case where a youth is alleged to have committed prostitution or prostitution loitering, regardless of the youth’s offense history or previous diversions (H.B. 1505). A 2010 law takes the changes a step further: Washington law now requires a prosecutor to divert a youth alleged to have committed the offense of prostitution or prostitution loitering if it is his or her first offense; the prosecutor may divert subsequent allegations. And, as of July 1, 2011, the state may file a CHINS (Child In Need of Services) petition for sexually exploited youth and must connect such youth with services and treatment. A youth charged with prostitution who is also a victim of sexual abuse may apply for benefits from the Crime Victim’s Compensation fund.
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Education Programs Must Be Provided to Youth in Washington Adult Jails, S.B. 6702
Tags: Washington | Youth in the Adult System | Legislation
Law requires that all youth held in adult jails in Washington be provided with educational programming. The legislation mandates that the educational programs adhere to educational standards for the district, and the programs must offer credits that are transferable to community schools. The state developed regulations and a program guide written by educational professionals in order to implement the statute.
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Washington Limits Use of Restraints on Pregnant Women and Girls, H.B. 2747
Tags: Washington | Girls | Institutional Conditions | Legislation
Washington law bans all use of restraints on women and girls who are in labor or are recovering post-delivery. No correctional personnel are allowed in the room during labor or childbirth unless specifically requested by medical staff. The law additionally states that except in extraordinary circumstances, no restraints of any kind may be used on incarcerated pregnant women or girls in transit to or from medical appointments and court during the third trimester of pregnancy, or during postpartum recovery. If restraints are ever used on a pregnant woman or girl, they must be the least restrictive available and the most reasonable under the circumstances; the use of leg irons or waist chains is never permitted on a pregnant woman or girl.
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Washington Establishes Task Force on Sealing Juvenile Records, S.B. 6561
Tags: Washington | Collateral Consequences | Confidentiality | Legislation
Law establishes a joint legislative task force on sealing juvenile records, whose final report includes various proposals around record sealing along with cost estimates.
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Washington Limits Use of Restraints on Pregnant Women and Girls, Washington, H.B. 2747
Tags: Washington | Girls | Legislation
Law bans all use of restraints on women and girls who are in labor and delivery, and limits restraints of pregnant women and girls who are recovering post-delivery, and who are in their third trimester while they are being transported to medical care or court proceedings.
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Non-Identifying Washington Juvenile Court Records to Be Available for Research Purposes, H.B. 1238
Tags: Washington | General System Reform | Legislation
For the purpose of research only, the Administrative Office of the Courts in Washington must maintain an electronic research copy of all records in the judicial information system related to youth. Access is restricted to the Washington State Center for Court Research, which must protect all confidential records and preserve the anonymity of any people identified in them.
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Washington Prosecutors May Divert Youth Prostitution Cases, H.B. 1505
Tags: Washington | Girls | Victims | Legislation
The Washington State Legislature passed a law allowing a prosecutor to divert a case where a youth is alleged to have committed prostitution or prostitution loitering, regardless of the youth’s offense history or previous diversions.
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Washington Reforms Truancy Procedures, S.B. 5881
Tags: Washington | School-to-Prison Pipeline | Status Offenses | Legislation
The Washington State Legislature made several changes to the state’s truancy practices and procedures. If the student is in a special education program or has a diagnosed mental disorder, the court must inquire as to what efforts the school district has made to assist the youth in attending school. If a youth is not provided with counsel at a truancy hearing, the court must conduct a colloquy on the record advising the youth and his or her parents of their rights before entering a truancy order. Detention as a sanction for truancy must be limited to seven days. Lastly, the legislature encourages the use of community truancy boards and other diversion programs that are effective in promoting school attendance and preventing the need for more intrusive court intervention.
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Washington Courts Must Seal Records of Youth Who Have Successfully Completed Deferred Disposition, H.B. 1954
Tags: Washington | Collateral Consequences | Confidentiality | Legislation
Washington courts are now required, within 30 days after a youth’s 18th birthday, to seal a youth’s records of deferred disposition, provided that the youth does not have any pending charges.
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Washington Individuals with Youth Adjudications for Sex Offenses Must Be Notified of Right to Removal from Registries, S.B. 5326
Tags: Washington | Collateral Consequences | Sex Offender Registries | Legislation
The Washington State Patrol must provide notice to individuals registered for a sex offense or kidnapping offense committed when they were juveniles of the ability to petition for relief from the duty to register. The notice must be provided at least annually.
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A Reexamination of Youth Involvment in the Adult Criminal Justice System in Washington: Implications of New Findings About Juvenile Recidivism and Adolescent Brain Development, Washington Coalition for the Just Treatment of Youth
Tags: Washington | Brain and Adolescent Development | Youth in the Adult System | Reports
Report pointing specifically to brain development research that bears on juveniles' culpability and indicating that youth are more amenable to rehabilitation. The report also cites recent studies that show that subjecting adolescents to the adult criminal justice system may actually increase future criminal behavior due to reduced access to treatment and rehabilitative services and increased exposure to adult criminal culture. Section IV of the report focuses on an examination of the cases of the 28 youth in Washington who are serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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Washington Improves Mental Health Services, Washington, Law C359 L07
Tags: Washington | Mental Health and Substance Abuse | Legislation
Establishes a children's mental health evidence-based practice institute at the University of Washington.
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Evidence-Based Juvenile Offender Programs, Washington State Institute for Public Policy
Tags: Washington | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Reports
List of six juvenile offender programs in Washington that have been identified by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) as evidence-based. Each program listing contains a brief description, information regarding quality assurance, program cost per participant, and a list of the research citations used in WSIPP's analysis.
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Washington Funds Expansion of Drug Courts, Washington, Chapter 522, Laws of 2007
Tags: Washington | Mental Health and Substance Abuse | Legislation
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Washington Funds Expansion of Evidence-Based Programs, Washington, Chapter 522
Tags: Washington | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Legislation
Increases appropriations for evidence-based programs.
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Evidence-Based Public Policy Options to Reduce Future Prison Construction, Criminal Justice Costs, and Crime Rates, Washington State Institute for Public Policy
Tags: Washington | Community-Based Alternatives and Supervision | Research
Paper providing background information on historic and projected incarceration rates in Washington, as well as a history of crime rates and fiscal costs of the criminal justice system. It also describes the process used to determine if evidence-based and economically sound options exist, and examines adult corrections, juvenile corrections, and prevention programs.
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Washington Ends Mandatory Minimums for Juveniles, Washington, H.B. 1187
Tags: Washington | Youth in the Adult System | Legislation
Eliminates mandatory minimum sentences for youthful offenders tried as adults.
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The Comparative Costs and Benefits of Programs to Reduce Crime: Version 4.0
Tags: Washington | Fiscal Issues and Funding | Reports
The Washington State Institute of Public Policy’s (WSIPP) 2001 cost-benefit analysis of programs to reduce crime. Includes juvenile programming, beginning on page 17.
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T.I. v. Delia, Consent Decrees and Orders, Washington State Superior Court, King County
Tags: Washington | Institutional Conditions | Court Decisions and Related Documents
Landmark settlement over suit on conditions of confinement in Washington State.