Campaign Against Indiscriminate Juvenile Shackling
The Campaign Against Indiscriminate Juvenile Shackling (CAIJS) is a national organizing campaign seeking the end of the automatic shackling of children in delinquency court. The indiscriminate shackling of youth unnecessarily humiliates, stigmatizes, and traumatizes them. The practice impedes the attorney-client relationship, chills juveniles’ constitutional right to due process, runs counter to the presumption of innocence, and draws into question the rehabilitative ideals of the juvenile court. CAIJS works with advocates, judges, members of the media, and medical professionals in states across the country to both educate stakeholders on the harms of shackling young people, and promote laws, regulations, and court orders prohibiting the shackling of young people during juvenile proceedings unless the judge makes an affirmative finding that the specific child is a danger in the courtroom or a flight risk. CAIJS works with state-based advocates (public defenders, medical and mental health professionals, judges, and others) in more than 30 states and territories. CAIJS provides training and technical assistance to attorneys and advocates, research support for reforms, organizes and strategizes with state-based campaigns, develops and educates on legislative and court rule language, and fosters local and national discussions on the issue of juvenile shackling. To date, these efforts have secured nine professional affidavits extolling the psychological impact of shackling children, several major organizational resolutions condemning the indiscriminate use of shackling, participation in national conferences, and increased media awareness and attention to the issue.
As of September 1, 2019, 32 states including the District of Columbia have rules, statutes, or administrative orders prohibiting or limiting the indiscriminate shackling of youth. What does shackling look like in your jurisdiction? Please fill out this survey and email the results to cgilbert@njdc.info.
Resources:
- Eliminating Shackling in Juvenile Court: Continuing the Momentum Fact Sheet
- Model Statute & Court Rule
- CAIJS Toolkit – The Toolkit includes a policy statement from a leading national organization, a fact sheet, strategic guidance on achieving meaningful reform through court rule or statute, and one-pagers on pushing back against the most common attacks on this common sense reform. (Updated January 2016)
- Webinar on CAIJS & Shackling Reform
- CAIJS Fact Sheet on Indiscriminate Juvenile Shackling
- CAIJS Fact Sheet: Where Are There Statewide Bans on Automatic Juvenile Shackling?
- CAIJS Fact Sheet: Shackling and Courtroom Safety
- CAIJS Issue Brief
Affidavits:
- Affidavit of Dr. Donald Rosenblitt
- Affidavit of Dr. Gene Griffin
- Affidavit of Dr. Julian Ford
- Affidavit of Dr. Gwen Wurm
- Affidavit of Dr. Robert Bidwell
- Affidavit of Dr. Marty Beyer
- Affidavit of Dr. John Chapman
- Affidavit of Dr. Louis Kraus
- Affidavit of Professor Gwyneth Rost
Policy Statements & Position Papers:
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- American Orthopsychiatric Association
- Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
- Child Welfare League of America
- National Center for Mental Health & Juvenile Justice
- National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
- National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives
- National Association of Counsel for Children
- State Bar of Wisconsin No Shackling Presumption
National Organizations Oppose Indiscriminate Juvenile Shackling
- ABA Resolution & Report on Indiscriminate Juvenile Shackling (Feb. 2015)
- NCJFCJ Resolution Regarding Shackling of Children in Juvenile Court (July 2015)
- ABA Impact of Resolution 107A: Ending Indiscriminate Shackling of Juveniles (Aug. 2018)
Contact Christina Gilbert to learn more about the Campaign Against Indiscriminate Juvenile Shackling.
You can also learn more about the shackling practices that are hurting youth and communities across the country by visiting NJDC’s shackling page.
