Reading, PA – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, will co-host the first-ever Latino community forums on juvenile justice reform in Reading, PA on June 10. The Berks County Latino Juvenile Justice Network (LJJN) is hosting the events in conjunction with Latino community-based organizations and local leaders.

The events will highlight the growing overrepresentation of Latino youth in the juvenile justice system which has led to disparate treatment, unjust sentencing, and unnecessary transfer into the adult criminal justice system. Participants will hear from community leaders, key experts, and testimonials from formerly incarcerated youth and concerned parents.

“It is unacceptable that Latino children receive harsher treatment than White children, even when charged with the same types of offenses,” said Cassandra Villanueva, LJJN Coordinator.

“These community meetings are the first step for the Reading Latino community to have a voice,” added Angel Figueroa, Vice President of I-LEAD and former Reading City Councilman.

The LJJN is a long-term, multistate juvenile justice reform effort based in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Washington, and Louisiana. It is a key partner of the MacArthur Foundation’s “Models for Change” initiative, which seeks to develop a comprehensive working framework for a model juvenile justice system that can be replicated in other states.

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