Learn about the results of GCC’s work to reduce youth bindover* in Cuyahoga County by attending an education session. This work began with an Action to create awareness of the issue in December 2022, which many from St. Paul’s attended, and continues today.

The team has been attending bindover hearings for over two and a half years, has done an enormous amount of research, and has tried to work with those in power to reduce this practice in our juvenile court.

Some of the leads of the Court Watch Initiative have spent the past year crafting a detailed report of our experience and recommendations. We will be sharing the report widely, to participants in the system, to the media, and to advocates for change. It will also be available on GCC’s website.

First, however, the GCC wants to share the experience with members of GCC congregations. We know that meaningful change will not happen unless we the people demand change. To that end, GCC is offering six opportunities to experience and preview the Youth Bindover final report. These sessions will include interaction with others about our statistics, true stories, current research, and some ways we can make change! Contact Julie Micheletti (michelettijulie@gmail.com) with questions.   

There are the six opportunities in the next few weeks. Each workshop will start promptly.

Thursday, April 16, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Church of the Saviour, 2537 Lee Rd, Cleveland Heights

Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. – Noon | Affinity Missionary Baptist Church, 4411 E 175th St, Cleveland

Tuesday, April 28, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | West Shore Unitarian Universalist, 20401 Hilliard Blvd, Rocky River

Wednesday, April 29, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Congregation Mishkan Or, 26000 Shaker Blvd, Beachwood

Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. – Noon | Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, 8712 Quincy Ave, Cleveland

Given the nature and extent of what we know about brain development, very few juveniles can be classified as irredeemable. Our community is not best served by locking juveniles away for long periods in adult prison without programs which aid their maturation and rehabilitation.

~Timothy Cuff, CourtWatch Lead Team, Fairmount Presbyterian Church

*Youth bindover is when a child between the ages of 14-17 is “bound over” to adult court and tried as an adult. If found guilty, the sentence is served in adult prison, which doesn’t have the educational and rehabilitative resources of the juvenile system.

The children first have a probable cause hearing and sometimes (at the decision of a judge) an amenability hearing in the juvenile court. One of the issues is that the bar to find probable cause is incredibly low. In many cases, prosecutors have to recommend bindover.

This defeats the whole purpose of the juvenile system, which is to rehabilitate and habilitate young people. We know the brain is not fully formed until age 25 in humans.