‘Divesting From Our Youth’ Voices on Youth Incarceration

Ed. Note: Every year an estimated 250,000 youth are tried, sentenced or incarcerated as adults across the United States, mostly for nonviolent offenses. On any given night in this country, an average of 10,000 youth are locked up in adult prisons and jails, where they are at higher risk for mental, physical, and sexual abuse. Young people of color are disproportionately impacted: 62% of the youth prosecuted in the adult criminal system are African-American and these youth are nine times more likely than white youth to receive an adult sentence. Below, VoiceWaves youth reporters offer their take on ways to address the alarming disparities plaguing the juvenile justice system.

Michelle Siebert, 22

Young people should be released after 3 to 5 years, depending on the crime committed. [They should] be given parole because they deserve another chance to prove that they’ve changed. Those convicted should be given a punishment based on their actions, not their race.

Sevly Snguon, 27

The courts and laws that are meant to protect us, serve justice, and protect our freedom are doing the exact opposite for our youth. Instead of investing in the youth, we are divesting from them. There is a dangerous and deeply rooted consciousness in our society that drives many to criminalize individuals, even when they are still children. Restorative justice policies are a better investment because they challenge the root problem of the negative behavior.

Zzzahkia Burnley, 18

Courts and laws should consider multiple factors before convicting young people [including] past history, background and possible reasons for committing the crime. The court system must be stricter in more severe situations, and more understanding in less severe ones in order to support equal treatment in the juvenile justice system.

Hiyasmin Saturay, 24

The racial disparity in the number of juveniles being arrested and tried in adult court is just a reflection of the greater systemic racism and classism in this society. We need more programs that focus on addressing the issues that affect youth, rather than criminalizing them even for the smallest acts of defiance in school.

Angelica Ocampo, 24

Many of the youth who fall into the juvenile justice system have been cheated out of their first chance to survive. It is a tragedy that youth of color who are born into violence and poverty are more likely to end up in prison than college. It is even more frustrating to see that prisons are being built at higher rates than schools and colleges. Equal justice for youth begins by breaking the school to prison pipeline. The criminal justice system needs to stop criminalizing youth and instead build resources that address factors.

Mariah Smith, 19

Youth who are incarcerated for drug offenses should be given parole and counseling. There is no evidence that students of color misbehave to a greater degree than white students. They are, however, punished more severely and this is most strikingly true for drug offenses.