Marion Mattingly, 92, an well-known Washington, D.C., activist for juvenile justice, died Dec. 31 at 92, the Washington Post reports. Mattingly was born Marion Woolley in Los Angeles. Mattingly wrote a column for an American Bar Association publication, served on panels for governors of Maryland, helped craft legislation for the Justice Department, testified before Congress, and was active in such groups as Strategies for Youth and Do the Write Thing.
The Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention called Mattingly "an advocate and writer whose fervent commitment to justice for youth helped drive system reform, policies, and legislation, impacting countless young lives." “Marion led with enthusiasm and drive,” said Acting OJJDP Administrator Chyrl Jones. “She was passionate about justice, and especially about reforming justice systems so that youth receive the services, attention, and care they need. Her work on the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act in the 1970s helped pave the way for OJJDP, and our mission will always carry her imprint.” Mattingly’s advocacy reaches back to the 1960s, when she cofounded Women on Watch, a court-watching program in Montgomery County, Md.