Girl Trouble chronicles a year in the lives of a group of 13 - 23 year-olds who have built the first youth run organization for girls in trouble, the Center for Young Women's Development.

On the streets they are called "bitches," "thugs" and "'hos." In San Francisco's juvenile courts they are dynamic advocates for girls like themselves who are still locked up.

These young women are living very adult lives with adult responsibilities. The film follows them for 18 months as they negotiate myriad complex issues in the courts, continuation schools, hospitals, and social service agencies.

The girls at the Center are fighting for the human rights of their peers, challenging the system. Through their words and daily struggles these young women reveal just how badly the system is failing girls, while offering more effective alternatives to it.