The Care, Not Control campaign seeks to end youth incarceration in Pennsylvania.
IN 2018, BLACK YOUTH IDENTIFIED AS MALE ACCOUNTED FOR 7% OF PENNSYLVANIA’S POPULATION, BUT 56% OF ADULT PROSECUTION FILINGS AND 57% OF ADULT CONVICTIONS.
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.
ANNUALLY 3,000 CHILDREN AND TEENS ARE LOCKED IN CARCERAL SETTINGS WHERE THEY EXPERIENCE VIOLENCE INSTEAD OF JUSTICE.
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.
