Justice for Families’ groundbreaking report Families Unlocking Futures uncovers crucial flaws in the system that burden, alienate and exclude families from the treatment of system-involved youth.

The J4F Bill of Rights aims to correct these flaws and includes five principal rights:

1) Right to Notification--families have a right to be notified anytime significant decisions are being made about their loved ones or questions are being asked that could result in their child's suspension, expulsion, arrest or prosecution. 

2) Right to Participation--families have a right to participate and give input in these critical hearings and decision making points. Given this right 

school disciplinary and juvenile justice processes shall be conducted using language and terminology families can understand.

3) Right to Peer Support--families have a right to the support of a peer who can support and assist families as they navigate too often hostile and exclusionary school disciplinary and juvenile justice systems. A peer is someone who has been through school disciplinary or juvenile justice processes with their own loved ones.

4) Right to Contact--families have a right to see and otherwise be in contact with their loved ones.  Thus, youth facilities shall be within 90 miles of the home, phone call costs shall not be exorbitant and provisions shall be made to support family visitation. Families shall not face fees and fines that further increase the cost of having a loved one in the system. 

5) Right to Influence Juvenile Justice Policy--families shall be consulted and listened to when determining youth justice policy and practice. Local, state and national governments shall work to incorporate family’s meaningful participation in determining the direction of policy and practice.

Justice for Families Bill of Rights (Individual Sign On)

"JUSTICE FOR FAMILIES BILL OF RIGHTS" (Organizational Sign On)

One Mother’s Take on the Need for J4F Bill of Rights