The Care, Not Control campaign seeks to end youth incarceration in Pennsylvania.
Uncaged Potential: Justice from the Ground Up Podcast
Pennsylvania has an ongoing legacy of brutally separating children from their communities to incarcerate them in horrific prisons where they suffer abuse. Philadelphia incarcerates children at a higher rate than any other major city in the country.
Nearly 20 youth detention facilities were shut down due to an endless stream of lawsuits alleging abuse and civil rights violations. But the tide has turned. In FY2025-2026, Governor Shapiro increased funding to youth prisons by $4 million.Â
Kids are incarcerated for profit. The Office of Refugee Resettlement granted Abraxas Academy, in Morgantown, PA, a $9.2 million contract for 30 beds for “unaccompanied” migrant children.
We have the data.The data tells us that punitive models of control don’t work. Annually, 3,000 children and teens are locked in carceral settings where they experience violence instead of justice; neglect instead of guardianship; and stagnation instead of growth. Black and Latinx youth are more likely than White youth to receive punitive sentences such as incarceration or transfer to adult court, while White youth are more likely to receive probation4 and diversion programs that allow them to remain in their communities, despite similar levels of engagement in delinquent behavior.
We have the resources.The amount spent on youth prisons could be transformative if channeled into care-based resources. Each year, we spend an average of $211,000 to incarcerate a child compared to the $16,000 on average that we spend to educate a child.
And we have both the wisdom and ingenuity needed to establish and maintain alternatives to incarceration that support safety and well-being for all of Pennsylvania’s children.
