Author: Theresa Glennon

Unpacking the Race, Gender, Disability and Class Implications of Juvenile Detention Decisions

Race, gender, disability and class based injustices happen to our nation’s teens every day, in the mundane decisions that probation officers, caseworkers, and judges make, usually out of public view. An article in Pro Publica documents a judicial decision to detain a 15-year-old Black girl for violation of her probation. The violation involved her failure to properly attend her online school program and keep up with her assigned homework. The judge, citing a “zero tolerance” for probation violations, incarcerated her in May, 2020, in the midst of a massive disruption to the school lives of every American teenager. The decision was made without testimony by the girl’s special education teacher, who had to leave the online hearing to fulfill her other teaching duties. Studies make clear the disproportionate impact of race in all aspects of the juvenile justice process. Those involved in the process tend to see Black teens as more mature and therefore more culpable for their behavior than white teens of the same age. Juvenile detention also disproportionately impacts teens diagnosed with ADHD …

We Sustain Each Other

We are living in the most worrisome, uncertain and swiftly changing time in our lives. Many of us find it hard to take a break from the unfolding pandemic, even for an evening. All of us have been personally affected in some way — if only by shelter-in-place orders and endless hours online. Others are coping with illness, grievous loss and worry about this month’s rent and future economic security. While no one is exempt, some members of our Temple community have been and will be hit much more severely than others. How can our Temple Law community to come together and not only survive, but thrive? Two key values can help us through. First, we can each take responsibility to our collective well-being. Reach out to support each other, if only to listen. Second, we need the courage to be vulnerable. We can let others know that we need their aid. Responsibility and vulnerability further each other. I’ve learned first-hand the power of support from the Temple Law community. In the past few years, …