About Us
“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.
Latest News
April 2026 Update
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...
January–March 2026 Update
Strengthening family bonds in Honduras and Costa Rica Families are the most important sources of support and advocacy for children in detention. Our Family Reunification and Family Committees programs are critical to protecting children...
In Central America, the juvenile justice system keeps punishing the same families.
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...