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A publication of The Texas Tribune
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Mary Ann Scali

Executive director, National Juvenile Defense Center

Mary Ann Scali is executive director of the National Juvenile Defense Center and has worked on juvenile indigent defense issues for over 15 years. She was previously a social worker and an attorney in the juvenile division of the Office of the Public Defender in Baltimore, Maryland.

Latest Columns

Law and Order

Dallas DA must treat kids like kids

By Mary Ann Scali,

Decisions to transfer youth to adult court should never be driven by politics or public pressure. Young people who come into contact with the legal system during their childhood and adolescence are more likely to lead successful lives and promote community safety when the juvenile justice system responds than when they are transferred to the adult criminal justice system.