By James Torrence, CFCC Student Fellow (2015-2016) As America moves toward criminal justice reform, we must consider preventive measures to ensure that vulnerable children and teenagers do not enter the criminal justice system. Many have called on policymakers and school administrators to reform school disciplinary practices, such as zero-tolerance policies, in the face of research…
By Danielle Wiggins, CFCC Student Fellow 2015-2016 Truancy is a major issue here in Baltimore City public schools. Research shows that the students most likely to be chronically truant come from low-income families.[1] During my time as a Student Fellow in the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (“CFCC”) Program,…
By Janee Thames, CFCC Student Fellow (2015-2016) Overview This semester I had the opportunity to plan and facilitate the Parent Workshops on Financial Literacy at Reginald F. Lewis High School of Business and Law, which participates in CFCC’s Truancy Court Program (TCP). The workshops are supported by a grant from the State Farm Insurance Good…
By Juliette Spencer, CFCC Student Fellow 2015-2016 As a Student Fellow at the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (“CFCC”), I have had the privilege of conducting research to assist the parents and students involved with CFCC’s Truancy Court Program (TCP), people who are directly affected by the public school…
By Sonya Sadjadi, CFCC Student Fellow 2015-2016 As a Student Fellow at the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (“CFCC”),1 I have explored many components of problem-solving courts. Problem-solving courts operate through something called “therapeutic jurisprudence.”2 Therapeutic jurisprudence is “the belief that families and children deserve an effective and efficient…
By Angela Snyder, CFCC Student Fellow 2015-2016 On June 1, 2015, the University of Baltimore School of Law’s Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) and the Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts’ Department of Family Administration convened Maryland’s Family Justice System: A Symposium. The keynote speaker at the event…
On October 23, 2015, the University of Baltimore School of Law Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children, and the Courts (CFCC) and the National Family Resiliency Center (NFRC) convened the “Family Transitions: Issues Solutions, and Policies Conference” at the University of Baltimore School of Law. The conference was well attended by approximately 300…
By Kelsie Potts, CFCC Student Fellow 2015-2016 Youth involvement in combating socioeconomic issues is crucial in improving the well-being of those in need. As a Student Fellow in the Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) Student Fellows Program, I have learned that factors such as poverty, homelessness, lack of transportation, being a young…
By Jordan Posner, CFCC Student Fellow 2015-2016 Our journey in the CFCC Student Fellows Program class last week addressed the importance of problem-solving courts that can be holistic approaches for individuals in the judicial system. They can also serve as a type of intervention before a person becomes involved with the justice system (e.g., Teen…