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Home | Newsroom | Access to Justice | Courts in most states charge juveniles to exist inside the justice system. This movement wants to change that.

Courts in most states charge juveniles to exist inside the justice system. This movement wants to change that.

When Brenda Tindal’s foster daughter got in trouble with the law, she knew it would take an emotional toll. She did not, however, anticipate that the teen’s three-month stint in a California juvenile detention center would cost $16,000.

The costs — which include a court-appointed attorney, electronic monitoring, staying in a juvenile hall and restitution — resulted in the garnishment of Tindal’s income and tax returns and led to the eventual loss of her home.

“I’m really in despair,” Tindal said. “There’s a dark cloud over my life. I have absolutely nothing.”

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