Page 17 - Briefcase Volume 37 Number 1

BRIEFLY

NOTED

LAW CENTER’S JCAP PROGRAM EXPANDS
LEGAL SERVICES FOR AREA YOUTH

Established in 2014 as a mentoring program to reach youth before they criminal court for disciplinary infractions on public school campuses.
are swept into the juvenile and criminal justice systems, the Juvenile & A former public school teacher and Teach for America corps member,
Capital Advocacy Project at the University of Houston has extended Beeler was selected to work with JCAP as an Equal Justice Works Fellow
its reach over the years to include representation of delinquent youth sponsored by Latham & Watkins LLP.
in court, public school classroom presentations, and sealing of juvenile
court records. “My work aims to disrupt
“Our record-sealing the school-to-prison
pipeline, by which kids are
program has so far sealed pushed out of schools and
more than 400 juvenile into the juvenile justice or
records, freeing these youth criminal justice systems for
to continue their educations mostly minor behaviors,”
by obtaining financial Beeler explained. “Excluding
aid, finding meaningful kids from classrooms as
employment, or serving punishment usually does
in the military,” said Katya not address the underlying
Dow, ’92, a Professor of issues causing most student
Practice and Legal Programs misbehaviors, including
Director for JCAP. “With Christina Beeler trauma and mental illness.
Katya Dow the addition of our dual
status representation and “We want to keep kids in schools where they belong and to stop the
school disciplinary programs, we are poised to provide crucial legal school-to-prison pipeline here in Harris County,” she added.
services to literally hundreds more youth in Harris and surrounding A third component of the JCAP program that has cleared the path to a
counties.” brighter future for hundreds of youths by sealing their juvenile court
JCAP’s Dual-Status Youth Representation Program will expand in records also expanded in 2017 to help adults remove certain information
January from one to all three Harris County juvenile courts as well as from their criminal histories. In January, the program will begin a
the CPS Project Court. Under the supervision of JCAP attorneys, Law partnership with Beacon Law, an organization that provides social
Center students handle all legal aspects of delinquency cases (and some services to the homeless, including adult expunction assistance.
adult criminal cases, as the age for adult criminal responsibility in Texas The Law Center’s Record-Sealing and Expunction program is the only
begins at age 17), ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. Students also program in Texas providing sealing of juvenile delinquency records at
investigate and address factors in the foster care system that impact the no cost. Law students learn to practice in three different court systems–
ability of the youth they are representing to successfully complete their juvenile, criminal, and civil–and receive training in three different
cases, not recidivate, and move on with their lives successfully. procedures: juvenile records sealing, expunctions of adult criminal
“Adoption by all the incoming juvenile judges shows strong support by records, and nondisclosure orders for adult criminal records. Since
the courts and recognition of what we have accomplished since starting 2015, JCAP has sealed more than 400 juvenile records, helping people
the program in the fall of 2017,” Dow said. She offered special thanks get past youthful mistakes that can present major barriers.
to Dena Fisher, newly appointed associate justice for the 315th Harris Although records of juvenile delinquency are not accessible by the
County Juvenile District Court, for helping launch and develop the general public, they are accessible to several agencies and other entities
program. and can impact employment and education opportunities, eligibility for
JCAP’s newest outreach, the School Discipline Program, has taught more military service, licensing and certifications, applications for housing,
than 500 public school students about their legal rights under the Fourth and public benefits. Similarly, instances of criminal arrests or charges,
and Fifth Amendments when engaging with law enforcement. even if dismissed or no-billed by a grand jury, are included in a criminal
Christina Beeler, a 2018 graduate of the Law Center who serves as a “paper trail” and can dog the life of an adult if not expunged.
JCAP staff attorney and legal clinic supervisor, has conducted more than On Nov. 26, JCAP and the Houston Bar Association collaborated on a
20 know-your-rights presentations at schools and before community CLE training program that drew more than 80 attorneys interested in
organizations since the program began this fall. She also represents taking on record-sealing cases pro bono.
youths in school disciplinary proceedings, juvenile court, and adult

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