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Why Colorado Should Reform Juvenile Justice, Including 'Direct File,' Now

The Case For Much-Needed Juvenile Justice Reform
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National Reporter, HuffPost

Colorado’s policy of sending some juvenile to adult prisons (called "direct file") must be reformed. I spent nearly five years researching the topic for “Direct Fail," published in our December 2011 issue, and here’s some of what I learned:

In Colorado, District Attorneys have unilateral power to prosecute kids as adults. There are no checks and balances. No judge or jury weigh in. There is no way to reverse the DA’s decision. The kicker? Colorado is one of only seven states to have a punitive system like this.

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