Nationally, on any given night, approximately 81,000 youth are confined to juvenile facilities and 10,000 children are held in adult jails and prisons. Approximately 1 in 10 young male high school dropouts is incarcerated or in juvenile detention. For African Americans, that number is 1 in 4. Research shows that just over two million youth under the age of 18 were arrested in 2008. Of these two million, about 95 percent had not been accused of violent crimes. In 2010, of the nearly 100,000 youth under the age of 18 who were serving time in a juvenile residential placement facility, 26 percent had been convicted of property crimes only, such as burglary, arson, or theft. Access to education both stems the tide of incarceration and improves inmates chances of re-acclimating to society after their release.
“The ordinance requires the creation of a task force to develop home-like and rehabilitative centers in San Francisco to house youth offenders, including a secure site for those who pose a public safety threat. The board must review and approve final plans six months prior to the closure.“
San Francisco Chronicle
June 4, 2019
Read More“If the measure passes, it would make San Francisco the largest county in the state — and perhaps in the nation — to operate without any secure confinement facility. While the city’s advocacy community has roundly supported the proposal, San Francisco’s chief probation officer has opposed the plan. “
Chronicle of Social Change
June 3, 2019
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