PRISON FELLOWSHIP: Juvenile Justice

Roughly 60,000 teenagers currently reside in juvenile detention facilities across the United States.  While detained, these young men and women are separated from their friends, family—and the schools which they had been attending.

A recent feature on the PBS Newshour takes a closer look at the importance of educating youth behind bars, focusing on the efforts being made at one facility in Lowell, Massachusetts.

What is the best way to keep young people in troubled areas away from criminal behavior? A new book suggests that one of the keys is identifying a hobby or activity that will draw attention away from illicit activity and give youth a meaning and purpose that transcends their current environment.

The following column originally appeared in the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, a national news site that covers juvenile justice issues daily, and appears here with permission.

The other day I visited a young black man from Philadelphia doing time for an armed robbery.

A pair of recently released surveys reveal broad support for proposed criminal justice reforms in the state of Virginia.

On February 10, Prison Fellowship and the Charles Koch Institute released a report showing that justice reform is a top priority for more than one-third of Virginians, with 36 percent of respondents placing it in the top five most important issues to them.

With the recent release of the report by Prison Fellowship and Kansas Appleseed on juvenile justice in Kansas, the blog asked Kate Trammell, policy associate and caucus coordinator for Prison Fellowship’s advocacy program, to share her thoughts on the report’s proposals, and the impact they might have on Kansas’ juvenile justice system and beyond.

Report from Kansas Appleseed and Prison Fellowship as Kansas Lawmakers Debate New Bill to Reduce Youth Incarceration

TOPEKA – A new report issued today by Kansas Appleseed and Prison Fellowship outlines the myriad problems currently plaguing the juvenile justice system in Kansas and the opportunity during the current legislative session for real and lasting changes that invest in families instead of incarceration.

What impact does imprisoning young offenders have on their development and maturation?  A new study by economists Anna Aizer and Joseph J. Doyle, Jr. indicates that juvenile detention is not the deterrent desired by law enforcement officials, but actually increases the odds of recidivism while reducing the possibility that they will graduate from high school.

Should there be exceptions to judgments for life without parole if the offender is a juvenile?  In an op-ed piece in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Justice Fellowship President Pat Nolan and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich argue that such incarceration is unjust, is an unwise use of taxpayer funds, and fails to make society safer.