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.
"Nineteen speeches make up the 90-minute show – all verbatim extracts from interviews Smith conducted herself or speeches made in public, which explore the uniquely American phenomenon of the school-to-prison pipeline. She flits between young people caught at the harsh end, and teachers, judges, activists and politicians who see the problem from different personal and historical vantages."
The Guardian
June 12, 2018
Read More"Almost two-thirds of young people who come in contact with law enforcement in Santa Cruz County are diverted away from the formal juvenile justice system and connected to the education, counseling or mental health services that they need. Santa Cruz prioritizes this individual approach because it works, it’s better for youth and it saves taxpayers money."
Santa Cruz Sentinel
June 10, 2018
Read More"Can a violent adult jail teach kids to love school?"
The Marshall Project & This American Life
June 8, 2018
Read More"In 2011, sweeping cuts were announced to public education, general assistance, and other critical social services. Despite massive movements demanding that the state fund schools, not prison expansion, politicians refused to stop construction."
Philadelphia Inquirer
June 5, 2018
Read More"Between fiscal years 2014 and 2017, the number of youths held in Department of Juvenile Justice facilities fell 34 percent, reflecting a reduction in detentions and commitments for lower-level offenses. In response to the reduced demand, state officials have closed or repurposed four juvenile facilities since 2016."
Pew Charitable Trusts
May 3, 2018
Read More"Inmates are currently banned from receiving state grants and scholarships. This legislation would reverse that. Anyone seeking the money would be subject to the same process and regulations as everyone else who applies for state aid. But they would also need the approval of the state Department of Corrections."
New Jersey Star-Ledger
April 7, 2018
Read More"We should celebrate the declines in incarceration among youth of all races and ethnicities. But let’s not overlook the way these changes aren’t benefiting all our children in the same way."
The Sentencing Project
October 20, 2017
Read More"Kayleb Moon-Robinson is a 12-year-old boy who lives in Virginia....When the school resource officer (SRO) arrived to take him to the principal’s office for disobedience, Kayleb reportedly struggled and swore. The officer allegedly slammed the boy down on a desk and handcuffed him. Kayleb is now being charged with felony assault on a police officer, and his future is very much in doubt."
Al Jazeera
April 22, 2015
Read More"Researchers found that inmates who participate in correctional education programs have 43 percent lower odds of returning to prison than those who do not. "
RAND Corporation
August 22, 2013
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