The Farrell v. Cate lawsuit, launched by the Prison Law Office, grew out of the advocacy efforts of many individuals and organizations, including CJCJ, Commonweal, Youth Law Center, National Council on Crime and Delinquency, and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. The lawsuit changed the face of juvenile justice in California. For more information, please visit CJCJ’s Juvenile Corrections Reform in California page.
In 2003, the Prison Law Office brought forth a sweeping indictment of the policies and practices of the California Youth Authority (now known as DJF or DJJ), citing widespread neglect and abuse of youth in state custody.
This timeline highlights the primary events in California juvenile justice reform from 1999 to 2015. For Farrell litigation court documents, please visit the Prison Law Office website.
A court-appointed Special Master monitors DJJ’s compliance with the consent decree and through the issuance of periodic progress reports. Read summaries of the Special Master Reports.