Juvenile Law Center

Each year, over 1 million youth are arrested across the country, and 95% of those arrests are for non-violent offenses. Kids are increasingly being arrested by police officers working in schools for behaviors that schools used to handle as routine disciplinary problems: throwing an eraser, chewing gum, or arguing in the hallway. Keeping kids from entering the juvenile justice system is an important step in curbing the flow of the school-to-prison pipeline and making sure kids can get their lives back on track. Diversion programs help keep kids out of the system, and these programs work best when youth are diverted before they’re even arrested.

Three bills currently pending in the legislature would not only ensure the effective implementation of ESSA in Pennsylvania, but would also emphasize graduation as an educational priority for students in foster care.