The Center for Youth Policy & Law (CYP&L) at the University of Maine School of Law was established in June 2017 with support from the John T. Gorman Foundation. This initiative aids Youth Justice Clinic students and faculty in their policy endeavors. By fostering collaboration with partners and stakeholders, the Center strives to reduce harm and enhance outcomes for Maine’s current and former system-involved youth and emerging adults. In its coordinating role, the Center serves as a platform for the practitioner work group—a dedicated team of youth justice professionals and advocates focused on evaluating youth justice policies, programs, and practices. Their goal is to minimize inappropriate detention and confinement while promoting fairness in the justice system. Additionally, the Center represents Maine in the National Youth Justice Network.

Community Reintegration Collaboration

In partnership with the University of Southern Maine’s Place Matters project, the Maine Department of Corrections Juvenile Division, and the Maine JJAG, the Center for Youth Policy & Law developed, supports, and co-facilitates Regional Community Care Teams designed to help individual system-involved youth and their families and to inform broader system change and investment in a community-based continuum of care. The Center co-facilitates the Region One Regional Care Team which meets monthly. CYP&L and USM have also co-authored reports on the first two years of the project, including youth and system outcomes. Learn more about the Regional Community Care Teams.

Youth Justice Legislative Updates

At the end of each session of the Maine Legislature, student fellows compile a list of bills that impact youth and youth justice policy and provide a short summary of each, including whether they were approved, rejected, or remain active for further consideration. 

2021-2022 Changes to the Maine Juvenile Code

Youth Justice Clinic and the Center partnered with the Maine Prosecutors Association and the Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group to develop and host a half-day training on October 1, 2021 to educate stakeholders on the changes to the Juvenile Code enacted in the first session of the 130th Legislature. Below is video from the training plenary and resources related to action from the 130th Legislature.

Juvenile Record Information Brochure

Updated in January 2022: The Center and the Youth Justice Clinic updated this important resource for youth, families, and other system stakeholders to explain what it means to have a juvenile record in Maine.

Download “Know the Facts: What does it mean to have a Juvenile Record in Maine?”

 

Juvenile Justice Task Force and System Assessment

Augusta, Maine

The Center for Children’s Law and Policy (CCLP), the organization tasked with conducting a statewide assessment of Maine’s juvenile justice system, presented its final report of findings and recommendations to the Maine Juvenile Justice Assessment and Reinvestment Task Force in February 2020. Since the report was released, several recommendations have been acted upon and an update on Maine’s progress was presented by the CCLP at the October 2021 meeting of the Maine JJAG. Read more about the work of the Task Force, the Final Report and the Assessment Update.

Publications

The Center and the University of Southern Maine’s Justice Policy Program have partnered on several publications in the Place Matters series around a community-based continuum of care for transition-aged youth and youth impacted by the justice system.

Contact

Jill Ward, Director
207.780.4573
jill.ward@maine.edu