Since the beginning of time many groups have overcome situations where their advancement within the hierarchy of society was undermined. From women to racial groups, many have seemingly broken the “glass ceiling” looming over their heads. Yet I have a hard time believing teenagers facing the prospect of jail and prison as the only viable response to their mistakes are capable of this immense task. With the challenges inner city youth face on a daily basis, it’s no surprise they sometimes resort to violence and drugs to solve them. Yet elevating incarceration above education and rehabilitation for these youth will only further perpetuate this cycle and ultimately destroy a generation.
Following an agreement with the federal government to separate youths from adults at the Baltimore City Detention Center, the state of Maryland is preparing to build a $104 million jail for youths being tried as adults. The facility will house up to 230 teenagers and like most state initiatives, it will be paid with the use of taxpayers’ dollars. While Maryland Legislative Services has announced the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services needs to close another facility in order to save money on staff costs, they managed to find the money to allocate towards the construction of this new jail. State officials have justified the proposal by projecting that the number of youths charged as adults will double by 2025. Yet from 2006-2010 the average daily population of youths at the City jail decreased from 140 to 100 inmates. As of June 22, 2010, there were only 90 youth at the facility. Based on this trend the jail would be virtually empty by 2025 indicating the state should discontinue this project and consider more positive alternatives that will produce better outcomes for our youth. How many schools can you build with $104 million? How many jobs can you create?
Until then, or if it ever happens, you can help. The state should listen to community members and leaders who want to have a voice. Send a letter to Governor O’Malley asking him to stop work on the proposed jail and consider other alternatives to make better use of funds and produce better outcomes.
“How many schools can you build with $104 million?”
The coalition working to redirect this $104 million to more productive uses has not explicitly spoken about building schools, but it is a crying need. The Maryland Education Coalition has founded the Fair and Green Schools Alliance in order to work for justice in education facilities and to promote green jobs. For more info contact Charlie Cooper at charlie.coop@verizon.net or Frank Patinella at fpatinella@aclu-md.org
Great suggestion. A juvenile counseling and diversion system needs to be housed in one of the new buildings being considered. Mental health professionals, alternative education professionals, career counselors and other social service professionals need to be assembled to offer and extend services to these individuals. Don’t just lock up their bodies, but instead unlock their confused young minds!
Hello , my name is Halle. I am a sophomore at Western High School and a student with Wide Angle Youth Media. I think this article on youth’s poor behavior is important to me because it is true that if they want act as an adult, they should pay adult consequences. However, I do disagree with the Maryland government on building a $104 million jail for youths being tried as adults. They could use all that money for a better cause, like schools.
Hello my name is Eric and I am a senior at Forest Park High School, and a youthworker with Wide Angle Youth Media. Today I read this blog entry that said Baltimore City is building a new detention center that cost $104 million. I think Maryland should use the $104 million dollars towards building better schools, creating more jobs, and developing more youth programs to keep young adults off the streets. Taxpayers shouldn’t pay the city just for a young adult incarceration center instead pay for more academic needs and hire more teachers.
My question is if they do decide to build a jail for teenagers – What is better a jail that is worth $104 million or improving academics and increasing recreational opportunities for our youth?
With that kind of money we should equip recreation centers with athletic supplies, remodel buildings, open more pools, etc. It is a possibility that there are not a lot of detention centers to put young adults. But if we restore proper programming for youth in Baltimore we will gain a positive outcome without the need for new jails.
Thanks all for the comments and thank you especially Eric. Your comments embody the essence of the point I was trying to make. Redirectig these funds to some of the uses you mentioned would undoubtedly produce more positive outcomes. Yet there is politics in everything and the battle begins by gathering everyone you know and petitioning a letter to the governor expressing how you feel. It’s a big issues that we all must combat from multiple angles
In addition to letters to the Governor, join the Baltimore Algebra Project this Thursday at 3 pm, City Hall.
Youth will be vociferously asking for a joint meeting with both the mayor and governor to demand that they stop this jail and invest in opportunity for young people.
A large coalition including the Open Society Institute, Safe and Sound Campaign, Campaign for Youth Justice, Advocates for Children and Youth, Baltimore Community Foundation, Community Law in Action, and many others are fighting this new $100 million travesty–and it’s very important for individuals to collaborate and understand their strength when they unite and act purposefully as a large group.
We can win this battle, if we work together.
Greetings,
It is true that $104 million would be better used in creating activities, jobs and education for our youth. As indicated previously,the average daily population of youths at the City jail decreased and by 2025 will be empty. The State of Maryland plans to build this facility and knows that the beds will be filled by our youth; as a result of the lack of investment in the lives of the youth to develop them into postive contributors to society and not criminals. Today I heard a news reporter say that “the recreation centers will have extended hours so that children in Baltimore city will stay out of trouble”. We have so much work to do as a community to give back to our youth. Parents have to work to maintain family, not that this has not always been the case; but the community supported families. Ie., recreation centers, activities for the children and neighbors just looking out for them. Something needs to happen to reach our youth before they get to committing any type crime.
Greetings everyone,
As we all know, our society needs change. There is only two types of change, positive and negative. Building a jail that would house black youth who are being tried as adults and swept into a cycle that is difficult to break falls under negative change. On the other hand, building schools or maybe even youth centers that focus on getting these black males off the street and away from negativity falls under positive change. In this day and time we simply need more positive, especially from our black youth. Let’s make a change.
Hello,
I agree with the sentiment that this is the incorrect manner to spend $104 million dollars. I think it is important to note that the determination of how many prison cells to build is not based strictly on criminal justice trends but is directly correlated to the youth literacy rate. The % of youth unable to read by 3rd grade is the baseline indicator that states use to decide the number of prison cells they will build.
As activist in Baltimore consider ways to encourage the redirection of this funding consider higher investments in youth 0-5 yr. old or program models that work with young mothers,giving them the skills to nurture and develop their children during their early years like the Harlem Children Zone programs.
I think it is also important to determine why the justice system is so confident that more youth will be tried as adults. Are these violent crimes, first time offenders? One young lady replied that if youth want to act like adults they should be treated as such. The issue is that neither group is acting as an adult- committing crimes takes you out of that category. However, youth are still developing and tend to make worse choices because they are developmentally less mature and have a more difficult time understnading the long term consquences of their actions. That is not to say that all youth are reckless, but if you consider the driving regulations, drinking laws, and other policies affecting youth they are all desinged to protect and delay consquential decision making. That must be a consideration in how we rehabilitate offenders.