Renewed War on Drugs, harsher charging policies, stepped-up criminalization of immigrants — in the current climate, joining the NACDL is more important than ever. Members of NACDL help to support the only national organization working at all levels of government to ensure that the voice of the defense bar is heard.
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NACDL is committed to enhancing the capacity of the criminal defense bar to safeguard fundamental constitutional rights.
NACDL harnesses the unique perspectives of NACDL members to advocate for policy and practice improvements in the criminal legal system.
NACDL envisions a society where all individuals receive fair, rational, and humane treatment within the criminal legal system.
NACDL’s mission is to serve as a leader, alongside diverse coalitions, in identifying and reforming flaws and inequities in the criminal legal system, and redressing systemic racism, and ensuring that its members and others in the criminal defense bar are fully equipped to serve all accused persons at the highest level.
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"What Happened When America Emptied Its Youth Prisons," by James Forman Jr., New York Times, January 28, 2025
"Locked Up, Left Behind: Despite widespread abuse in juvenile institutions, Philly still locks up kids at a rate seen in few other cities.," by Samantha Melamed, Philadelphia Inquirer, January 16, 2025
"Two Families Sue After 11-Year-Old and 13-Year-Old Students Were Arrested Under Tennessee’s School Threat Law," by Aliyya Swaby and Paige Pfleger, ProPublica/Nashville Public Radio, January 13, 2025
"While Youth Detention Numbers Rise, States Begin to Roll Back Reforms," by Jamiles Lartey, The Marshall Project, December 21, 2024
"How will Tennessee’s blended sentencing law work?," by Rebecca Cadenhead, MLK 50, November 21, 2024
"Report calls for reforms in Maryland’s handling of youth tried and imprisoned as adults," by William J. Ford, Maryland Matters, November 20, 2024
"New York Tackles Racial Disproportionality in Juvenile Justice Decisions," by Steven Yoder, The Imprint, November 14, 2024
"An 11-Year-Old Denied Making a Threat and Was Allowed to Return to School. Tennessee Police Arrested Him Anyway.," by Aliyya Swaby and Paige Pfleger, ProPublica/WPLN/Nashville Public Radio, October 30, 2024
"A Law Was Meant to Target Teen Violence. Instead, 17-Year-Olds Are Being Charged as Adults for Lesser Offenses.," by Richard A. Webster, ProPublica/Verite News, October 03, 2024
"As School Threats Proliferate, More Than 700 Students Are Arrested," by Troy Closson and Shaila Dewan, New York Times, September 25, 2024
"The Seemingly Endless Cycle of Reforms in Juvenile Justice," by Jamiles Lartey, The Marshall Project, September 07, 2024
"Should police be able to interrogate kids alone? A growing number of states say no," by Meg Anderson, NPR, August 29, 2024
"Alaska appeals court clears way to challenge juvenile life sentences," Associated Press, August 14, 2024
"Still Cruel and Unusual: Extreme Sentences for Youth and Emerging Adults," by Ashley Nellis, Ph.D. and Devyn Brown, The Sentencing Project, August 08, 2024
"Body slams, pepper spray and other recent abuses inside KY juvenile detention centers," by John Cheves, Lexington Herald-Leader, July 22, 2024