These concise messages are designed to increase the public’s understanding of and support for youth justice reform. The messages are available to everyone but are addressed primarily to youth justice practitioners, decision makers and advocates.
The messages follow the VOSA model, which stands for value, opportunity, solution and action:
Core Messages
Value
We all want a world where young people — no matter their race, ethnicity, gender or neighborhood — can realize their potential, even when they make serious mistakes.
Young people deserve opportunities and second chances to change the trajectory of their lives.
It’s bad for everyone if juvenile justice becomes a revolving door for youth who get into trouble and then get trapped in the system.
Opportunity
The juvenile justice system is a failure. It is outdated, does not serve all young people equally and traps young people in a cycle that is far too difficult to escape.
The juvenile justice system is too often an entry point to the criminal justice system rather than an opportunity to help kids in the long run.
Rehabilitation is the goal of youth justice, but the right approaches have not been implemented.
Data consistently show that the current juvenile justice system is repeatedly failing young people, families and the communities where they live.
Most white or wealthy young people are given the opportunity to take responsibility for their actions without negative, life-changing consequences, while Black, Latino and Native American youth, as well as those from low-income communities, are more likely to become trapped in the justice system.
Discriminatory policies and practices pervade the juvenile justice system. Youth of color enter it at higher rates and receive longer sentences and harsher treatments.
Young people are still growing and maturing through their teens and mid-20s. Many adults who interact with young people, particularly police, lack training about adolescent development. That makes them too quick to criminalize common teen behavior, like taking risks and testing boundaries.
Solution
Rehabilitation is the goal of youth justice — which means applying appropriate consequences to typical youth behavior and providing real opportunities for youth to learn from their actions and continue to grow in a positive direction.
Most young people who break the law can be held accountable by their families and communities and be connected to appropriate community resources, such as counselors, mentors and athletic coaches who support them in learning from their mistakes.
Youth justice should offer constructive opportunities for all young people.
The youth justice system should recognize that taking risks and having trouble controlling impulses are normal facets of development in adolescence.
The youth justice system should be geared toward helping young people and getting them on the right path.
All young people are forming their identity, and they are at a stage when affirmation of who they are is important. In particular, young people of color must be affirmed and validated, not discriminated against.
We should invest in programs such as mentoring, job training and mental health services for youth, particularly where these services are often not available.
We should embrace the chance to teach young people responsibility for their actions and support them with mentorship, opportunities and guidance that will steer them toward a positive path.
To have a positive future, young people need opportunities to learn from their mistakes and receive guidance from adults they trust.
When young people are in trouble with the law, we should respond quickly, appropriately and in ways that keep them connected to education and opportunities rather than drawing them deeper into the juvenile system and derailing their future.
Through an approach known as restorative justice, a practice where people learn how to take responsibility for their mistakes and gain empathy for the people they’ve harmed, we can get to the root causes of why youth got into trouble in the first place.
Action
Young people who are not a danger to themselves or the community should not be arrested.
Everyone who cares about youth must ensure they are connected to community resources, such as mentorship and guidance, that will help them get on a better path.
The public should support policies that offer appropriate responses to youth who get into trouble with the law and reduce the number of young people who enter the youth justice system.
Our youth justice system must focus on rehabilitation with opportunities that nurture maturity and guide young people in problem solving, empathy and self-control.
Elected officials who make decisions about the youth justice system can prioritize community safety while preventing young people from getting entangled in the justice system by choosing restorative justice approaches and applying youth probation only when necessary.
Together, we can build a true youth justice system that ensures all young people — regardless of their race, ethnicity or income — are held accountable for their actions and still have an opportunity for a bright future.
Core Narrative
We all want a world where young people — no matter their race, ethnicity, gender or neighborhood — can realize their potential, even when they make serious mistakes.
Data consistently show that the current juvenile justice system is repeatedly failing young people, families and the communities where they live. The juvenile justice system is too often an entry point to the criminal justice system rather than an opportunity to help kids in the long run. Discriminatory policies and practices pervade the juvenile justice system. Youth of color enter it at higher rates and receive longer sentences and harsher treatments.
Rehabilitation is the goal of youth justice, but the right approaches have not been implemented. Most young people who break the law can be held accountable by their families and communities and be connected to appropriate community resources, such as counselors, mentors and athletic coaches who support them in learning from their mistakes.
In this spirit, juvenile justice professionals, community stakeholders, families, youth and advocates have been championing practical policy changes to prevent youth from entering the system, getting caught up in probation, or worse, placed in institutions away from their families and communities.
With more use of diversion from courts to community-based responses, youth probation and restorative justice — a practice where people learn how to take responsibility for their mistakes and gain empathy for the people they’ve harmed — we can get to the root causes of why youth got into trouble in the first place. In communities where programs focus on nurturing maturity and supporting young people to improve problem solving and self-control, young people are succeeding.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is calling on its partners and everyone who cares about youth to ensure young people are connected to community resources such as mentorship and guidance that will steer them toward a positive path.
Together, we can build a true youth justice system that ensures all young people — regardless of their race, ethnicity or income — are held accountable for their actions and still have an opportunity for a bright future.
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