Know Your Rights
As a pilot program, the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office has launched an official Juvenile Advisement number dedicated for Santa Clara County youth facing potential criminal legal exposure to call.
The number is (408) 299-7733.
If a youth is detained by law enforcement, the police have to call a different number, at any time of day or night, to make sure the detained youth talks to a public defender (lawyer) about their Miranda rights. A detained youth cannot legally waive (give up) their Miranda rights, without first talking to an attorney.
This new Advisement number is for youth who are not necessarily detained by law enforcement and have questions about what to do if an officer calls them while they are at home, school, a park, or anywhere.
For youth who are unsure of what to do when they believe law enforcement (the police) is investigating them and trying to talk to them, call the number so the attorneys can answer any questions the youth may have. The number is staffed by three (3) Community Outreach attorneys at the Public Defender’s office during business hours, however, please call even if it’s after 5 pm or the weekend so they can respond as quickly as possible.
Why does this exist?
When a kid gets in trouble at school, we used to send them to the principal's office. Now, we're suspending, expelling or even arresting kids for the smallest misbehaviors. This trend is called the School-To-Prison pipeline.
The juvenile justice system is broken. Here is what actually works
On any given night, nearly 50,000 youth are incarcerated in facilities away from home in the United States. The juvenile justice system is meant to provide rehabilitation for those incarcerated, but the system isn’t working. When children are locked up at age 17 or younger, 71% end up rearrested within three years of release according to the Department of Justice. Why are so many youths arrested -- and then re-arrested? What can be done to stop the cycle of youth incarceration?