It has become a commonly known concept that our brains do not completely develop until we are in our early to mid-twenties. Every state has a law recognizing that children below a certain age cannot consent to sex. Most states prevent minors from marrying, at least without parental permission. Education is compulsory until at least…
By Shannon Thomas, CFCC Student Fellow (2019-2020) It has become a commonly known concept that our brains do not completely develop until we are in our early to mid-twenties. Every state has a law recognizing that children below a certain age cannot consent to sex. Most states prevent minors from marrying, at least without parental…
By: Kayla Williams, CFCC Student Fellow (2019-2020) The Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) Truancy Court Program (TCP) aims to provide early intervention for chronically absent students in an effort to prevent their truant behavior from leading to delinquent and criminal behavior. The TCP works to identify and address…
By Christina van Vonno, CFCC Student Fellow (2019-2020) Since 2017, more than 70,200 Americans died from a drug overdose, and more than two-thirds of these deaths involved opioids. Most people, when seeing these statistics, do not stop and realize that these individuals were fathers, mothers, brothers, or sisters, leaving behind loved ones who have to…
By Jalen Sanders, CFCC Student Fellow (2019-2020) Participating in the CFCC Student Fellows program, I have learned and acknowledged a lot. There is no difference between a student, a faculty member, a lawyer, a judge, or an advocate. No pay grade, word of mouth, or potential job offer can change that. What destroys our titles…
By Megan Phillips, CFCC Student Fellow (2019-2020) One of the central messages of the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts is that of therapeutic jurisprudence. This concept means, among other things, that the legal system (e.g., courts, attorneys, and judges) should take a holistic view of the legal process in…
By Linyanta Nwosu, CFCC Student Fellow (2019-2020) Therapeutic Jurisprudence, or TJ as we lovingly refer to it in our Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) Student Fellows Program, is a means of examining the law’s impact on individuals and communities. TJ is often referred to as a “lens” through which laws are…
By Jared Silber, CFCC Student Fellow (2019-2020) We often think of teachers as the smartest, most valuable employees in our society. Teachers teach our children basic math, grammar, and valuable lessons that often follow the student for their entire lives. Teachers are often responsible for disciplining children who act out in class. However, when it…
By Laura Opont, CFCC Student Fellow (2019-2020) Healing Circles are a restorative practice used in the Truancy Court Program (TCP). Restorative practices have existed for decades and courts started incorporating them in the 1970s to facilitate mediation between victims and their offenders. Restorative practices have spread throughout North America and Europe and have roots in…