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Statement

MomsRising Leader Commends Enactment of California Juvenile Justice Bill

October 12, 2017
Maternal Health

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Donna Norton, executive vice president of MomsRising, a national online and on-the-ground organization of more than 1 million mothers and their families, including nearly 100,000 in California, on Gov. Jerry Brown’s decision to sign SB 190 into law
“Yesterday, California Gov. Jerry Brown took a major step to avoid compounding penalties for struggling families by signing SB 190, which ends the collection of administrative fees from families whose children end up in the juvenile justice system.
 
“Juvenile administrative fees are often devastating for youth and families. They can quickly add up to thousands of dollars and can throw struggling families further into poverty, threatening the ability of parents to care for their children when their children need them most. Ending the collection of these punitive and often prohibitive fees will eliminate a source of sometimes grave financial harm to some of the state’s most vulnerable families, support the reentry of youth back into their homes and communities, and reduce the likelihood of recidivism.
 
“This bill is a welcome move toward a fairer justice system in California. We thank every state legislator who supported it and Gov. Brown for signing it into law.”
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.