CYDC | California Youth Defender Center

We are excited to share with you that our name has changed to the California Youth Defender Center (CYDC)! For the past 25 years, the Pacific Juvenile Defender Center (PJDC) has supported youth defense in California. Why a name change now? As part of a broader transformation to better serve our community, California Youth Defender Center more aptly reflects our focus on the youth justice community in California, and our commitment to uplifting the rights and humanity of all young people, without labeling them. We believe in treating every young person as a child first, restoring childhood through opportunities for growth, development and redemption.

CYDC has streaming training videos! We are building our video library over the next several months, but currently we have our eight-hour AB703 training video and handouts available now for purchase. View the training videos »

Lawyers & Youth Justice Advocates

This section provides CYDC members with access to motions, briefs, and other resources to assist them in their advocacy.

Learn about member benefits »

Youth, Families & Community

We believe children in the justice system must be treated with dignity, respect, and fairness. If your child is going through the court process, we provide free resources to help you understand the challenges your child faces. If your child was in the juvenile delinquency system, we have information regarding sealing and other collateral consequences of system involvement.

Check out our free resources »

Our Mission

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, CYDC needs your help to accomplish our
mission: to promote positive outcomes for all young people by ensuring excellence in youth defense and by advocating for systemic reforms in California.

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Learn About CYDC's Mission

Our Initiatives

Legal Training and Support

CYDC guides over 2400 youth defenders and advocates so all young people in California are represented by informed counsel with the requisite expertise to vigorously defend their clients' rights.

Coalition Building and Public Advocacy

With CAYCJ, CYDC zealously advocates for community-based solutions that deliver better long-term outcomes for more than 25,000 youth annually and mitigate the trauma of incarceration.

Legislation and Amicus Briefs

CYDC co-sponsors transformative legislation, provides technical assistance to California lawmakers, and authors amicus briefs for landmark CA Supreme Court cases.

Fighting Systemic Injustice

CYDC strives to expose, challenge, and correct discrimination and the disproportionate incarceration of young people of color through litigation, policy, media outreach, and publications.

News & Announcements

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Nationwide Decline in Youth Incarceration

1/29/25: The New York Times Magazine’s recent article “What Happened When America Emptied Its Youth Prisons” chronicles what it describes as “a remarkable — if largely overlooked — era in the history of America’s juvenile justice system. Between 2000 and 2020, the number of young people incarcerated in the United States declined by an astonishing… Continue reading →

Free Photo Of Interior Of Union Station In Los Angeles

PJDC Receives the CPBS Collective Grant

1/22/25: In 2024, PJDC was the recipient of a grant to train community violence intervention workers in Los Angeles County as part of the Los Angeles Peer to Peer Learning Academy. Together with Abraham Medina of Organizing Roots, Executive Director Brooke Harris taught eight day-long workshops on improving community safety through effective advocacy in the… Continue reading →

PJDC Sponsored Bill Sb 1161 in effect!

1/6/25: In 2024, Pacific Juvenile Defender Center proudly sponsored Senate Bill 1161 (Senator Josh Becker, 13th District) which made significant improvements to twelve (12) juvenile or juvenile-related statutes, including Welfare and Institutions Code 827, 303, 388, 450, 451, 604, 654.2, 781, 786, 786.5, 800, and Penal Code 851.7. PJDC successfully amended WIC 604 to ensure… Continue reading →