Special Report from Annie E. Casey Foundation

The rate of young people admitted to detention has fallen by 52% during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey of juvenile justice agencies in 33 states — equaling in two months a national decline that took 13 years.

Written By Kathryn Allen, CFYJ Communications Fellow

On May 26th a group of 14 U.S. Senators led by Kamala Harris (D-NY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), sent a letter to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The correspondence outlines concerns for the protection of incarcerated youth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

May is Foster Care Awareness Month, a time to recognize that we can each play a part in supporting the lives of the 437,000 children and youth in foster care each year, 57,000 of whom are placed in congregate care.  In the youth justice system, 42,000 children sleep in out of home placements (youth detention centers, prisons, and adult facilities) every night.  In both systems, the vast majority of these youth could be served in less restrictive settings—that cost less, and yield much better outcomes.

By Madeleine Susi, CFYJ Communications Fellow

As Mother’s Day approaches, we set aside time to celebrate and honor those who have played a maternal role in our lives. For many people, this day is filled with gratitude and joy as they are able to spend time with their families. Still, for many children and mothers, today surfaces feelings of isolation and pain.

Aprill O. Turner, CFYJ Vice President of Communications 

"Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering."--Hebrews 13:3

Today, May 7th, is National Day of Prayer. In 1952, Congress set aside the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer, calling for people of all faiths to pray for our nation.

As a person of faith, I cannot let the day go by without saying a special prayer for our children across the country incarcerated as adults, especially given how they are being treated during this global health pandemic.

Aprill O. Turner, CFYJ Vice President of Communications

Recently, Illinois Gov. J.B Pritzker granted clemency to more than 1,000 incarcerated individuals including Brian Harrington, who at age fourteen was prosecuted as an adult and sentenced to twenty-five years under the state’s truth in sentencing law.  He served 13 years of his sentence before being granted executive clemency, getting to go home just shy of spending over half of his life incarcerated.

CFYJ first met Brian last year as he was preparing to present his case to the clemency board. To hear directly from Brian about his case and his experience in the adult system, listen to CFYJ’s podcast with him, here.

By Brian Evans, CFYJ State Campaigns Director

The COVID-19 pandemic, among many other things, cut state legislative sessions short, and naturally shifted attention away from policy and towards emergency responses, which have been slow and woefully inadequate compared to the scale of the crisis. 

But before this happened, things seemed to be moving in the right direction: several states had already successfully passed good legislation protecting children from being prosecuted, incarcerated, or sentenced as adults.

The states at the end of the alphabet were most productive.

By Madeleine Susi, CFYJ Communications Fellow

In the middle of the current global health pandemic it is important to remember it is time to fill out the 2020 census. Every ten years, the Decennial U.S. Census is sent out nationwide to record the population of the country and the location of where each person lives. The census asks questions about the living situation and demographics of each resident in the U.S. in order to better understand the composition of the population and to ensure that each person is only counted once in the correct place.

By Madeleine Susi, CFYJ Communications Fellow

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a time to support those who have been victims of sexual assault and to promote awareness on the sexual victimization that is still prevalent in our society. Sexual violence exists in all communities and affects individuals from all walks of life, no matter their race, age, or gender. About 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men in the U.S. have been the victim of sexual assault during their lifetime. Though the exact prevalence of sexual assault against children is not known due to lack of reporting, it is estimated that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. These traumatic experiences live on in the minds of victims and can have a multitude of psychological, emotional, and physical effects.

By Brian Evans, CFYJ State Campaigns Director

COVID-19 appears to be moving into prisons, jails, and detention centers more quickly than the criminal legal system can (or will) respond. While most of those incarcerated are adults, there are thousands of children at risk in these dangerous facilities. The obvious solution – let as many children out as possible while ensuring they have a safe place to go – has not been so simple to implement, as different branches of government (judges, governors, mayors, prosecutors, etc.) need to make decisions to allow children to be released from court-ordered confinement. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking.