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News

Best Of BPR 6/13: Massachusetts Is Backsliding On Youth Justice Reform

  • SFY in the News
A new report shows Massachusetts is backsliding on some aspects of juvenile justice reform. Jim Braude and Margery Eagan speak with Lisa Thurau and Kristen Wheeler of Cambridge-based nonprofit Strategies for Youth

Westbrook event empowers parents to spot online predators

  • SFY in the News
WESTBROOK, Maine — Parents are increasingly concerned about how to keep their children safe from online predators, but many don’t know what signs to look for—especially with social media constantly evolving. That’s why the “Don’t Get Groomed” initiative, an educational program hosted by Strategies for Youth, was in Westbrook this

Strategies for Youth: No More Deceit During Massachusetts Juvenile Interrogations

  • Press Releases
CAMBRIDGE, MA – June 10, 2025 – Massachusetts must stop allowing officers to use deceit and deception during interrogations of youths by passing H.1979/S.1065, “An Act Prohibiting Deception in Juvenile Interrogations,” Cambridge-based nonprofit Strategies for Youth (SFY) declared in written testimony to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary on Tuesday.

Probation + Strategies for Youth Hosts 2nd Cohort Of Police Training on Positive Youth Interactions for Local Officers in Contra Costa County

  • SFY in the News
Officers from the cities of Concord, Pittsburg and El Cerrito police departments attended a 4-day Train-the-Trainer cohort training event on April 1-4th at the Probation Department where they completed 28 hours of training on best strategies for teaching their peer officers on important principles and strategies that promote positive interactions

Nonprofit group works to prevent youth arrests, improve relations between youth, police

  • SFY in the News
EXETER, N.H. — A nonprofit organization is working to teach young Granite Staters about the juvenile justice system. The Juvenile Justice Jeopardy Program is part of a statewide initiative working to prevent youth arrests and improve interactions between kids and law enforcement.

Outrage in Worcester over police response to ICE arrest

  • SFY in the News
Taking a traumatized teen to the ground is not ‘de-escalation’ After watching video footage of the chaotic scene in Worcester in which a woman was taken into custody by immigration agents and her 16-year-old daughter was then arrested by police, my jaw dropped when I read the statement issued by

The Rising Cost of Ignoring Juvenile Justice Reform | Opinion

  • Op Eds, SFY in the News
Massachusetts has long been recognized as a leader in juvenile justice reform. Yet, the latest findings from the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data (JJPAD) Board's 2024 Annual Report paint a troubling picture: We are backsliding.

Black, Latino youth more likely to be arrested, data says. What Mass. is doing about it.

  • SFY in the News
Massachusetts is set to become the first state in the nation to introduce statewide regulations on how police interact with young people, a move aimed at addressing racial disparities in the juvenile justice system. The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, which oversees police certification and training, is responsible

Entirely Avoidable: Strategies for Youth Calls for Training, Policies Following Police Shooting of Idaho Teen

  • Press Releases
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. — APRIL 10, 2025 — The police shooting of 17-year-old Victor Perez in Idaho this week underscores an urgent need for nationwide action to train and set policies for law enforcement’s interactions with young people, national policy and training organization Strategies for Youth said in a statement Thursday.

Fair and Impartial Policing of Youth: Race, National Origin, and Immigration Status

  • Model Policies, SFY in the News
SFY's Model Policy #6 - Fair and Impartial Policing of Youth: Race, National Origin, and Immigration Status – is featured in the Spring 2025 Issue of Juvenile Justice Update. This policy furthers the commitment to fair and impartial enforcement of the law and the protection of youths’ constitutional and statutory

Cops and kids: New report shows troubling trend

  • SFY in the News

Make It 10: Strategies for Youth Calls on Arkansas Legislators to Raise Minimum Age for Juvenile Justice System Involvement

  • Press Releases
CAMBRIDGE, MA – March 27, 2025 – To protect children’s futures, the Arkansas Legislature should support Bill 459 and raise the minimum age of child involvement in the juvenile justice system from 9 to 10 years old, Strategies for Youth Executive Director Lisa Thurau urged in a letter to state

Albany police focus on youth interactions to improve safety

  • SFY in the News
ALBANY, N.Y (WRGB) — As Albany police ramp up efforts to recruit more officers, the focus is shifting beyond just increasing numbers. At a recent community engagement meeting, residents emphasized the importance of educational programs and enhancing interactions between police and Albany's youth.

Nebraska Legislators Should Reject Trying 11-year-olds as Adults, Strategies for Youth Declares in Letter

  • Press Releases
CAMBRIDGE, MA – March 20, 2025 – The Nebraska Legislature should soundly reject lowering the age that children could be tried as adults from 14 to 11, Strategies for Youth Executive Director Lisa Thurau declared in a letter to legislators Wednesday.

New report shows troubling reality of how California cops treat young people of color | Opinion

  • Op Eds
Interacting with police can be scary — even for adults. For children, particularly Black, Brown and Native youth and those with disabilities, these fears are justifiably heightened, according to a new report released in January by the California Racial Identity Profiling Act Advisory Board. The report emphasizes the longstanding, stark

Massachusetts Public Sounds Off on Nation’s First, Upcoming Statewide Regulations for Police Interaction with Youth

  • Press Releases
CAMBRIDGE, MA, UNITED STATES, February 28, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As Massachusetts prepares to lead the nation by unveiling the first statewide regulations on police interactions with youth, dozens of parents, advocates, and former law enforcement officers came together virtually this week to sound off on how those standards should take

Building trust seen as key strategy to reduce youth violence in Albany, experts emphasize

  • Model Policies, SFY in the News
ALBANY, N.Y. — After a string of shootings involving young people in Albany, city leaders are stressing the urgency of intervention. Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox emphasized the need for everyone to stay engaged with youth to help prevent further violence. “Pay attention to what’s happening with our youth,” Cox

Policing of Youth with Disabilities, Experiencing Mental Health Crises, or Impaired by Drugs or Alcohol

  • Model Policies, SFY in the News
SFY's Model Policy #8 - Policing of Youth with Disabilities, Experiencing Mental Health Crises, or Impaired by Drugs or Alcohol – is featured in the Winter 2025 Issue of Juvenile Justice Update. This policy provides a framework for recognizing indicators of disability, mental health crisis, or drug or alcohol impairment

S.F. youth groups want more protections from police

  • Model Policies, SFY in the News
SFY Model Policies have been recommended San Francisco Police Commission and are in the the process of being adopted by the SFPD.

Use of Force with Youth

  • Model Policies, SFY in the News
SFY's Model Policy #5–Use of Force with Youth– is featured in the Fall 2024 Issue of Juvenile Justice Update. This policy directs officers to use the least amount of physical force possible to effect a lawful law enforcement purpose, and recommends standards of use, including restricted use and prohibitions, for

IMPD officer arrested, suspended following accusations of child molestation

  • SFY in the News
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis police officer is in custody after he was accused of multiple counts of child molestation. Kim Simon is law enforcement training director at Strategies for Youth, a national organization that trains law enforcement to interact with youths. “When you have individuals in roles of authority

Three Years After Rochester Police Pepper-sprayed a 9-year-old, Here’s What’s Changed — And What Hasn’t

  • Model Policies, SFY in the News
Three years ago, after a video of Rochester police handcuffing and pepper-spraying a schoolgirl in distress reached the public, state and local officials joined in uniform outrage, calling for immediate reforms. “This isn’t how the police should treat anyone, let alone a 9-year-old girl,” said then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Sixth Annual P.A.T.H. Conference For Parents, Students & School Personnel, August 22nd

  • SFY in the News
MISSION, Texas – The Hidalgo County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with the Prevention Team of Hidalgo County (P.A.T.H.); the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA); the Federal Bureau of Investigations; Mission CISD; South Texas College, and local nonprofits & volunteers will host the 2024 P.A.T.H 6th Annual Conference.

Strategies For Youth—Implementing the Three Ps: Policies, Protection, and Prevention

  • Model Policies, SFY in the News
Among some of the top priorities in enhancing community policing efforts is refining community and police relations… specifically with youth.

The Quiet Epidemic of Predators in Uniforms

  • Model Policies, SFY in the News
A series of recent groundbreaking investigative reports unveiled what many advocates for police accountability have known for decades: Child sex abuse by law enforcement officials is far too common across our country. Systemic failures within policing—coupled with lax oversight by police departments, prosecutors, and judges—too often shield police officers from

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Cambridge MA 02139

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Contact Us

617.714.3789

info@strategiesforyouth.org

P.O. Box 390174

Cambridge MA 02139

Find It Here

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