You are currently browsing the A Voice for Juvenile Prison Reform weblog archives for the day 9. February 2009.
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- 19. May 2010: JLWOP ENDS for Some Juveniles!
- 5. May 2010: End Direct File in Colorado
- 23. April 2010: Colorado Opens New Asylum For Mentally Ill (cont)
- 20. April 2010: Colorado Opens New Asylum For Mentally Ill
- 12. March 2010: Debate On Direct File
- 12. March 2010: Solitary Confinement For Schools?
- 11. March 2010: Torture Instead of Education
- 2. March 2010: See No Evil
- 25. February 2010: Colorado Debates Direct File
- 18. February 2010: ENOUGH ALREADY!
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Archive for 9. February 2009
Sometimes All You Need Is Pictures
9. February 2009 by Rev Young.
As we move forward in this new year, with the hope of changing the laws of confinement that lock away juveniles in adult prisons, I began receiving the usual reports and statistics.
Most of us who follow this cause, advocate for this cause or are caught up in this horrible system, know all the facts. We have purused all of the national reports, we have resited statistics, we have talked about all of the brain development research. We spout this information to whom ever will listen.
In all of this research, all of these reports, all of the legislation, mandatory sentence reform and every other empassioned movement, we have lost one thing…….
The human element. These kids have faces, stories, hearts. They are PEOPLE whom we have chosen to throw away into a system that further destroys them, their future and any chance of being successful in our communities. We need to look at the faces. We need to look them in the eye and tell them that they are no good, worst of the worst and what ever the cliches are about these kids. But we don’t.
We put them in the hands of a corrupt criminal justice system, with a judge that decides their fate with a “snapshot” of their lives and we send them into a dark place called prison.
If we had to look them in the eye, if we had to listen to them, if we had to understand who they were and what they needed or how we have already failed them…..we would be ashamed. So we don’t do it. I want to call all of you to stand strong for one minute and look at the following links. Don’t just read the facts, look at the pictures. They are kids…..we are supposed to protect them and teach them…..we didn’t.
Picture Essay from Time and the book “No Place For Children”
http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/juveniles/
A report from Washington state on the treatment of juvenile offender. It includes information on the injustice associated with the prosecution of juveniles. Look at the pictures!
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