This summer, SJP began representing Ryan*, a young man who came to us late in his criminal case. Ryan had already accepted a plea agreement, had been out of school for seven years, and was living on his own with limited support. SJP was brought on to connect him with services, re-enroll him in school, and help build a strong case for a favorable sentence. Working closely with Staff Attorney Morgan Crawford and Social Worker Zina Charles, Ryan made remarkable progress. He reconnected with his therapist, secured public benefits, enrolled in school, and quickly built strong relationships with his teachers, all while keeping perfect compliance with the conditions of his pretrial release.
As part of preparing for sentencing, SJP gathered Ryan’s educational records and went through them with him. For the first time, Ryan understood that he had a disability that had never been properly supported in school. He stopped seeing himself as a “bad kid” and saw a young person who had needed help and never received it. At sentencing, SJP and defense counsel gave the court a concrete plan for Ryan’s continued success. The judge allowed him to remain in the community and imposed a sentence of probation under the Youth Rehabilitation Act. This means that Ryan will be eligible to have his conviction set aside in the future once he successfully completes probation.
Today, Ryan is attending school for the first time in seven years, and SJP continues to advocate for his special education needs. We are proud of Ryan’s hard work and excited to support him as he begins his job search.
*Name changed to protect client privacy.
