SOULS OF YOUNG FOLK: - The Disproportionate Prosecution of Black Youth as Adults in New J

Implicit Bias & the Waiver Recommendations Context for the Waiver of Black of Black Youth to the Adult Youth to the Adult Criminal Criminal Justice System Justice System 13 14 16 Conclusion Dedication Endnotes 2 ABOUT US The New Jersey Youth Justice Initiative (NJYJI) is a family- and youth-driven justice program of the New Jersey Parents’ Caucus (NJPC). [...] One purpose of collecting and publishing the data is to better understand and directly address the In 1982, the New Jersey Legislature enacted laws to waive disproportionate number of black youth entering the adult youth as young as fourteen to the adult criminal justice system.4 criminal justice system in New Jersey. [...] In addition to data, we gathered historical and repealed the discretionary and presumptive waiver laws.9 research on the treatment of black adults and youth in New As a result, in 2016, the number of youth referred to criminal Jersey and the development of New Jersey’s waiver laws over court decreased to 161 youth,10 down from 195 in 2014 before the past thirty-seven years. [...] 30 The discretion afforded to juvenile court judges to keep youth in the juvenile system The end of slavery in New Jersey and across the country, is limited by presumptive waiver and nearly eliminated by 31 marked the beginning of structural and legal systems to mandatory waiver. [...] Specifically, the adoption presumptive waiver and raised the minimum age of waiver to of Jim Crow ordinances24 and the exception to the Thirteenth fifteen years old.32 Under S.2003, the judge shall transfer a Amendment continued the trend of locking Black citizens out youth to adult court if they are fifteen and there is probable of opportunities and into mass incarceration.