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Interested in learning about our partners? Consult the state campaign descriptions to learn how state organizations in Connecticut, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington DC are working to reform the laws in their area. If you don’t see your state listed, start your own. Visit the “how to start a campaign in your state” section of this site.

Connecticut
Contact: Abby Anderson, Senior Policy Associate
Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance (CTJJA)
Email: abby@ctjja.org
Website: www.ctjja.org
www.raisetheagect.org
Phone: 203.579.2727

Connecticut is one of only three states that automatically prosecute all 16- and 17-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system. To address this issue, the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance (CTJJA) has launched the “Raise the Age CT” campaign and is working to educate state policymakers on the impact. 


District of Columbia
Contact: Shani O’Neal, Interim Executive Director
Justice 4 DC Youth! Coalition (JDCY)
Website: www.jdcy.org
Phone: 202.386.9809

The Justice 4 DC Youth! Coalition (JDCY) is working for a more fair and effective youth justice system in the District of Columbia. The JDCY has been leading efforts to close the District’s youth detention center, Oak Hill, located in Laurel, Maryland and is now researching the impact of DC’s laws and polices that place youth in the DC jail.


North Carolina
Contact: Eric Zogry, Juvenile Defender
Office of the Juvenile Defender
Email: Eric.J.Zorgy@nccourts.org
Phone: 919.560.5931

Contact: Sorien K. Schmidt, Senior Vice President
Action for Children North Carolina
Email: Sorien@ncchild.org
Website: www.ncchild.org
Phone: 919.834.6623 ext. 228

North Carolina is one of three states where youth ages 16 & 17 are automatically tried as adults. The North Carolina Sentencing Commission issued recommendations in December to increase the age of juvenile court jurisdiction form 16 to 18 in North Carolina and North Carolina’s child advocacy community is waging a public awareness campaign on the need to change the age of juvenile court jurisdiction. 


Virginia
Contact: Andy Block, Director
Abigail Turner, Attorney
Just Children
Email: andy@justice4all.org Abigail@justice4all.org
Website: www.justice4all.org
Phone: 434.977.0553

Just Children is examining the overall conditions of Virginia’s juvenile justice and adult criminal justice systems. Just Children is providing legal representing on individual cases of youth transferred to the adult criminal justice system; conducting trainings for attorneys on how to improve individual transfer case advocacy; and working to expand legal representation through pro bono assistance to youth facing transfer or who have been convicted in adult court in Virginia. 


Wisconsin
Contact: Wendy Henderson, Juvenile Justice & Child Welfare Policy Analyst
Wisconsin Council on Children and Families
Email: whenderson@wccf.org
Website: www.wccf.org
Phone: 608.284.0580

The Wisconsin Council on Children & Families researched, wrote and published a ground-breaking state report, “Rethinking the Juvenile in Juvenile Justice: Implications of Adolescent Brain Development on the Juvenile Justice System.” The report includes major recommendations to increase the age of juvenile court jurisdiction from age 17 to 18 and to prohibit placement of youth in adult jails and prisons. The Wisconsin Council on Children and Families has launched “Justice 4 Wisconsin Youth” a statewide campaign with the initial goal of returning 17 year olds to the juvenile justice system.