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International Detention Standards FOR
CHILDREN IN DETENTION

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“The first time I entered a juvenile prison in Latin America, I was shocked how many of the kids were waiting months and months to see a judge. Most have no hope of being released for years. When they are finally released, they go back to their communities with no support system. Lagging behind in school with no work skills, they have few options. Locking up kids for petty offenses actually makes crime worse in the long run as lives are needlessly thrown away… “

In 2013, Douglas Keillor is a human rights attorney. In 2012, Douglas moved to Mexico City as a Fulbright-Garcia Robles Fellow to research juvenile detention. In 2013, he founded Juvenile Justice Advocates International.

July 2025 Newsletter

Jul 1, 2025 | News

Join us on July 9 Hear how JJAI is resisting the authoritarian wave and protecting the rights of young people across the region. 🎙️ With Douglas Keillor and Sarahi Garcia. Register NOW! Building justice across borders...

April 2025 Newsletter

Apr 1, 2025 | News

April 2025 Monthly Newsletter Juvenile Justice Advocates International Dallas Committed to Transforming Detention Center Dallas County Juvenile Department chief Lynn Hadnot shared JJAI's assessment report on the local news. He made clear...

February 2025 Newsletter

Mar 3, 2025 | News

March 2025 Monthly Newsletter Juvenile Justice Advocates International Global Study Update Justice for Children in Malawi Sarahí García, JJAI's Latin America Director, traveled to Malawi with Northwestern University's Center for...

Youth Detention and COVID-19

by Douglas Keillor | April 7, 2020 | COVID-19, News | 0 Comments

The COVID-19 pandemic is a potential humanitarian disaster in juvenile detention centers around the world. 1.4 million children are locked behind bars, often in terrible conditions (detained for months or years waiting to see a judge, abused, extorted, living...

September 2026 Update

by JJAI News | September 3, 2026 | News | 0 Comments

Families reconnect. Communities participate. Systems move forward. This month, JJAI's work across the Americas shows what youth justice reform looks like at different levels, strengthening family connections while working with communities and local authorities to...

August 2026 Update

by JJAI News | August 14, 2026 | News | 0 Comments

She finally made it to see her son. This month, families across Honduras overcame incredible barriers to be together. Here are some moments you made possible. Stories from the field A long road to a long-awaited hug At Sagrado Corazón de María, a mother traveled a...

July 2026 Update

by JJAI News | July 15, 2026 | News | 0 Comments

The Latin American Network of Alternative-to-Detention Implementers is now underway Following a regional selection process, four institutions from Bolivia, Honduras, Mexico, and Uruguay have begun their implementation journey with technical support from Juvenile...

A Mother’s Day of Hope in Honduras

by JJAI News | June 11, 2026 | News | 0 Comments

In Honduras, we celebrated Mother's Day Over the past several weeks, thanks to the generosity of our Restore the Circle supporters, families traveled to Sagrado Corazón de María, CPI El Carmen, CPI Jalteva, and Nuevo Jalteva to spend precious time with the young...

April 2026 Update

by JJAI News | May 4, 2026 | News | 0 Comments

This month, our community advanced juvenile justice reform efforts across Latin America and supported families with children deprived of liberty. Launch of the Alternatives to Detention Toolkit On April 29, we officially launched the Alternatives to Detention (ATD)...

January–March 2026 Update

by JJAI News | April 6, 2026 | News | 0 Comments

Strengthening family bonds in Honduras and Costa Rica through family reunification, family committees, and coordinated justice reform efforts.

In Central America, the juvenile justice system keeps punishing the same families.

by JJAI News | April 1, 2026 | News | 0 Comments

We are working to break that cycle. In Central America, families whose children end up in the juvenile justice system didn’t get there by accident. They are almost always the same families, the poorest, the most exposed to violence, the farthest from real opportunity....

This Mother’s Day, you can restore the bond between a family and a child.

by JJAI News | March 23, 2026 | News | 0 Comments

In Costa Rica and Honduras, on paper, families have the right to visit their children in juvenile detention. But for many mothers, the barriers created by poverty can feel insurmountable and nearly impossible to overcome alone: ● A bus ticket that costs $5. ● A...

November 2025 Newsletter

by JJAI News | November 3, 2025 | News | 0 Comments

Our Mobilize & Empower (M&E) project mobilizes communities to protect children in prison and empowers youth and families directly impacted by the justice system to drive reform. Through M&E, we: Provide transportation for families in extreme poverty to...

October 2025 Newsletter

by JJAI News | October 1, 2025 | News | 0 Comments

Last Month at a Glance: September 2025 New Resource Launch: Facility Assessment Resource Hub We've launched a comprehensive hub designed to support juvenile justice practitioners with evidence-based assessment tools and best practices for evaluating youth detention...

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