The Farrell Litigation

This is an introduction to the Farrell Litigation. It is the history of a lawsuit that changed the face of juvenile justice in California and grew out of the advocacy efforts of many individuals and organizations.

In 2003, the Prison Law Office brought forth a sweeping indictment of the policies and practices of the California Youth Authority (now known as DJF, or the Division of Juvenile Facilities), citing widespread neglect and abuse of juvenile wards in state custody.

This film details the history leading up to the lawsuit, details of the suit, and the consent decree, which was reached.