The Impact of the American Legal System on Children

by Matt Thornburg

The legal system in America is not a friendly place for children. The defects of its institutions are well-documented (1) those with wealth can often effectively buy a chosen verdict and (2) systemic inequalities disproportionately benefit and hurt certain races, sexes, sexual orientations, gender identities, and ethnicities--just to name a couple. Children are sadly often affected by these same inequalities but face additional barriers--the legal system is steeped in language and rituals that are difficult for adults to understand let alone children; and kids just aren't always able to articulate their perspective, needs, and feelings just yet. In Luzerne and Wyoming counties, approximately 500 children reside in the foster care system, victims of abuse and/or neglect. Because of an overburdened and under resourced support system and the challenges court presents to young people,  children swept into this pipeline experience tremendous disruption in their lives.

One solution is the Court Appointed Special Advocate or CASA system. This system uses adult volunteers in the community who are trained to work with children in the foster care system who experience abuse or neglect. CASAs effectively serve as the voice for these children--speaking the language of the court system and leveraging their training in the best interests of the child. CASA of Wyoming Valley is a 501(c)3 that I believe our congregation has support before. I have gone back and forth on whether to get involved and finally reached out to begin training. If you're interested, CASA of Wyoming Valley is easily located online and very responsive to prospective volunteers. In a day and age where it seems our whole society is fraying, helping the most vulnerable in our community is a good first step.