Youth, parents, youth justice advocates, elected officials, and public defender organizations gathered in the Bronx to share their vision of youth justice and community safety, and call for passage of critical legislation – the #Right2RemainSilent Act, the Youth Justice and Opportunities Act, and the Youth Justice Innovation Fund – which would provide a developmentally appropriate response to young New Yorkers entangled in the criminal legal system.

The action also called attention to the deplorable conditions at juvenile detention centers. Last week, The Legal Aid Society sent a letter to the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) commissioner demanding immediate action to end unsafe and inhumane conditions affecting youth currently held in the City’s secure detention facilities, including Horizon Juvenile Center.

The celebration of Youth Justice Action Month began with a rally at Horizon Juvenile Center secure detention facility, followed by a march to St. Mary’s Park for a community event that included arts, resources and an open mic where youth leaders spoke about the importance of passing these bills, as well as what youth justice and public safety mean to them.

The #Right2RemainSilent: Children’s Early Access to Counsel legislation would ensure all young New Yorkers consult with counsel before they can waive their Miranda rights and be subjected to a custodial police interrogation.

The Youth Justice and Opportunities Act would expand alternatives to incarceration and immediate record sealing for young people age 25 and younger, creating opportunities for release and successful reentry.

The Youth Justice Innovation Fund would direct $50 million to community-based organizations to provide a continuum of services from prevention, early intervention, to alternatives to detention, placement and incarceration for youth aged 12 through 25.

“Far too often, young people across New York are coerced into waiving their right to remain silent without fully understanding the potentially lifelong impacts of that decision,” said Dawne Mitchell, Chief Attorney of The Legal Aid Society’s Juvenile Rights Practice.  “Young New Yorkers who are saddled with an adult conviction face perpetual punishment for years or decades to come, being barred from certain school, job, and housing opportunities as a result of their entanglement in the criminal legal system.”