2015 Meeting | Juvenile Justice Policy Roundtable

Meeting Recap

The National Conference of State Legislatures convened a Juvenile Justice Roundtable in New York City, on Dec. 6-7. The meeting brought together 15 legislators and legislative staff from six states to discuss policies related to the age of juvenile court jurisdiction.

The meeting, developed through a partnership with NCSL and the Tow Foundation, provided an opportunity for lawmakers to learn from colleagues, experts and justice system officials about the financial, public safety and social impacts of prosecuting and detaining youth in adult and juvenile systems. The group was presented with research on emerging youth brain science, heard from prosecutorial and judicial perspectives and listened to a young man share his personal experience in the adult system. Policymakers from Connecticut also shared with the group their state’s recent experience in raising the upper age of juvenile court jurisdiction from 15 to 17. 

To close the meeting, participants engaged in a roundtable discussion where they shared ideas and strategies for applying what they learned to their own legislative priorities. 

Meeting Agenda and Online Resources