THE WORD m a g a z i n e
A program of the W. Haywood Burns Institute | info@burnsinstitute.org | www.burnsinstitute.org | www.cjny.org
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Community Justice Network for Youth Some things have changed, but one thing will always remain:
Our mission to “Stop the Rail to Jail” across the country! The Community Justice Network for Youth (CJNY) is a program of the W. Haywood Burns Institute (www. burnsinstitute.org), a leading national organization in the field of juvenile justice detention reform. The Burns Institute is named for the late Haywood Burns, who was a beacon of light for those who believed the battle for human rights and justice can be won through activism, humility and dedication.
more than 140 community-based programs. CJNY grassroots organizers, service-providers and advocates are unified in their aim to reduce the strict-sentencing and the warehousing of children of color within the
United States and to promote effective, culturally appropriate community-based interventions. The core activities of CJNY are: Peer-to-Peer Exchanges, Technical Assistance Services, System Accountability Specialization and Regional/National Conferences. Peer Exchanges provide avenues for communication and training between member organizations. Technical Assistance is offered to CJNY members in areas including: Organizational development, educational and skills curriculums, fundraising, community organizing, advocacy and service provision.
The idea for the CJNY network was conceived in the late nineties, a time of massive shifts in policies and initiatives regarding youth in trouble with the law. CJNY was formed by seven communitybased organizations representing a cross-section of communities of color and specializations working with youth in their communities. Our primary function is to be a support network for organizers and practitioners engaging with youth involved in juvenile justice systems and/or in need of support and services. Today, CJNY is comprised of
System Accountability Specialization focuses on strategic planning and implementation of localized community-based efforts to utilize data to reduce the secure confinement of youth of color. Regional and National Conferences allow for regional or networkwide reunions that always include good people, food and training.
Three full-time staff provide leadership to the CJNY Network... Malachi Garza serves as Technical Assistance & Peer Exchange Coordinator. Reach him at mgarza@burnsinstitute.org; (415) 321-4100 x 110.
Christina “Krea” Gomez serves as Western & Southern Program Manager. Reach her at cgomez@burnsinstitute.org; (415) 321-4100 x102.
Tshaka Barrows serves as Eastern & Midwest Program Manager. Reach him at tbarrows@ burnsinstitute.org; (415) 321-4100 x106.
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Did You Know… • The juvenile justice system was established to provide White youth in trouble with the law rehabilitation and nurturing. But in a short period of time, the face of juvenile justice became that of youth of color – and its focus shifted to retribution and punishment, abuse and the boom of prison-like juvenile institutions.
• Today, in every state, youth of color are over-represented at every stage of the juvenile justice system, especially in detention. Youth of color also receive disparate treatment throughout the system. • For youths charged with violent offenses, the incarceration rate for African American youth is nine times the rate for White youth, and the incarceration rate for Latino youth is five times the rate for White youth.
•Youths from families with the lowest incomes are nearly eight times more likely to drop out of high school than those from families with the highest incomes, and are almost four times more likely to be arrested.
• Overall, 1 in 3 African American men, 1 in 6 Latino men, and 1 in 17 White men are expected to go to prison in their lifetimes.
by Tshaka Barrows
Racial Disparities Taskforce struggle to address the fact that in New York City youth of color make up 98% of youth in detention.
Photo by Ryan Furtado
CJNY has been and continues to be committed to the work of building a national movement to “Stop the Rail to Jail.“ This is
our ninth year and we are celebrating by unleashing a comprehensive strategy to hold local and state juvenile justice systems accountable for their role in contributing to racial and ethnic disparities in detention. In conjunction with the CJNY System Accountability Toolkit we are recommending that our groups come together in the spirit of selfdetermination and establish themselves as the local Racial Disparities Taskforce in their jurisdictions. This movement has begun with
efforts in Los Angeles and the establishment of a New York City Racial Disparities Taskforce and a Massachusetts Racial Disparities Taskforce, a.k.a. Da Force. Both of these groups are made up of CJNY members who are taking the lead in doing the work to hold their systems accountable. In Massachusetts, the Taskforce is pushing for legislation that would require the collection of data by race, ethnicity, gender, geography and offense, also known as REGGO, to be analyzed and presented to the public by each agency in order to receive disbursements from the state. The New York City Taskforce is building a broad strategy to engage youth and families and involve them in the epic
The process of establishing a Racial Disparities Taskforce requires consistency and commitment in order to build a comprehensive shared understanding. Once established, the Taskforce should begin working on three levels of system mapping: 1) Federal, state, county funding streams down to each agency head; 2) Mapping the decision points and the agencies responsible for making those decisions; 3) Mapping out the history of local juvenile justice reform efforts. It is important to build this map to inform your strategy when developing your plan of action. This work is important and tough, it is not a campaign nor is it a sprint; rather I describe it as creating gravity. Gravity is a constant that is always there – if it were to go away then everything would rise up. The juvenile justice system is no different, without consistent pressure the racial disparities will continue to rise. It is our duty to create the gravity or pressure to get those numbers down and keep them down. With each new Taskforce our movement grows…will you be next?
Welcome Back Ophelia & Welcome to CJNY Shadi! This year we are welcoming back Ophelia Williams to the CJNY family, as the Senior Assistant of BI/CJNY, and welcoming Shadi Rahimi as the new Communications Director. Ophelia formerly worked as the Program Manager for CJNY and left in August 2006 to commit fulltime to her graduate studies. Upon the recent completion of her graduate degree, a position within the
Ophelia Williams Senior Assistant
BI became available and she was the ideal candidate. Prior to joining the BI in October 2008, Shadi worked as journalist for publications including The New York Times, The Santa Rosa Press Democrat and Indian Country Today. She is the co-founder of Seventh Native American Generation (SNAG), which provides media and arts education and leadership training for youth.
owilliams@ burnsinstitute.org
Shadi Rahimi Communications Director srahimi@ burnsinstitute.org
from caught in the system to working for an alternative
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became involved in the Pima County, AZ, juvenile justice system first when I got arrested doing graffiti. The police took me and made me give them my information like what I wrote and my crew. Then they called my mom, told her I got arrested and told her it was OK if she wanted to pick me up. I got home at like four in the morning and slept. My friend woke me up to go eat breakfast so I got dressed and went outside. A police detective was there waiting to arrest me again to add charges onto my arrest. I went back to juvie, got out at like 12 p.m. and when I got home there were like 12 cop cars and some detectives, even the police chief of South Tucson, to search my house. They took everything in my house that they thought was graffiti-related, even stuff that wasn’t mine. I went to court like five months later and they put me on J.I.P.S (Juvenile Intensive Probation). After that I started getting my
BI Publishes First Report: Adoration of the Question Adoration of the Question: Reflections on the Failure to Reduce Racial & Ethnic Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System, is the BI’s first publication in a series that will explore the tools, insights and strategies utilized to help stakeholders reduce racial and ethnic disparities in their juvenile justice systems. In Adoration of the Question, the BI examines the historical legacies
stuff together. I went to school and got my G.E.D., but I had nothing to do ‘cause I was still barely 16. I didn’t want a job so I started trying to get over on my Probation Officer by sneaking out at night with friends and painting – just being dumb. Then I started evading my P.O. and I finally got caught and went to juvie. When I got out is when I started the PAT program (which is an “alternative to detention” that the BI and a stakeholder collaborative helped establish and is housed at the Tucson Urban League. Youth referred by Juvenile Court are provided tutoring, technology and employment training, cognitive development, and structured recreational activities). I really didn’t like it; I tried to get over on them by showing up late and making excuses not to go. They got tired of that and told my P.O. I got yelled at. I straightened myself out and tried to give an extra effort by showing up to the program early and helping out with what I can. I did that for awhile, then I messed up
that continue to influence the juvenile justice system, including racism in the early system and its unfair treatment of youth of color. James Bell, the executive director of the BI, and Laura John Ridolfi, BI law and policy analyst, also examine DMC and its perceived causes, and analyze the well-intentioned federal mandates that have largely failed to reduce entrenched disparities. You can download a copy of the publication at: www.burnsinstitute.org
again got arrested one night doing graffiti and didn’t tell my P.O. When he found out he was mad and arrested me. I stayed in juvie about a month and I only got out because I got a job at the U.S. Census Bureau. I worked there for about two months cause it was temporary and I didn’t know what to do. Then Marcos Flores at the PAT Program asked me if I would like to intern in the program where I would help out as if I worked for the program. I did this for about five months, then it came to be that I did good as an intern so they realized I could be an employee of this place because I’ve been coming here for almost a year straight. That’s when I started doing like job training to become an intake clerk. I did that for about a month and finally became an employee. My life has changed ‘cause of the program. It showed me you can have fun without being in trouble. by Spazeruno; Awesomeness
CJNY & CMJ Par tnership Working to grow media skills and impact discourse by Malachi Larrabee-Garza Media What? Many CJNY members have requested assistance in media work because often, local organizations struggle to identify reporters willing to cover their work. It’s also been difficult for member groups to ensure positive coverage. Across the U.S. “if it bleeds it leads” dominates the screen and promoting false stereotypes is common practice as countless media outlets run stories and images of people of color engaged in destructive behavior. Folks watching the news don’t see youth at Spirit House or the Arab American Action Network, for example, doing the positive work they do 24/7. Biased coverage creates difficulty for community morale and organizations doing the work, and missed opportunities in moving local reform efforts and shifting public perception. With these concerns in mind, CJNY began to search for a way to offer high-level media assistance to CJNY members and help shift the way youth incarceration issues are discussed in the media. The Center for Media Justice (CMJ), a national media strategy and action center dedicated to building the power of grassroots movements, began helping CJNY staff identify the need to reframe public discourse regarding juvenile justice/juvenile incarceration. CMJ works specifically with networks to offer media training, tools and access to a database of national progressive media contacts. It soon became clear that CMJ and CJNY would benefit greatly from working together to grow the skills and profiles of CNY member organizations as well as impact and shift the national discourse. Always Test It Before Taking It Home Proposition 6 (the Safe Neighborhoods Act) – a “tough on crime” predatory policy that if passed would have resulted
in growing racial disparities and unequal sentencing in the California juvenile justice system – provided a perfect opportunity to test the effectiveness of this partnership. CMJ’s media training and established relationships with reporters provided a massive asset to CJNY members and had clear positive impact on the statewide public debate, political climate and led to the overwhelming defeat of Proposition 6. CMJ monitored coverage of Proposition 6 related stories during the November 2008 elections and found that despite all concerted effort of youth organizations, 92% of articles still contained no youth voices, 78% of articles mentioned race explicitly, nearly half the articles offered no solutions. Many stories focused positively on youth tended to be “diamond in the rough” articles about “exceptions to the rule.” These findings only highlighted the importance of this growing partnership. Homeward Bound In April of 2009 CMJ began working with CJNY members to develop broad messaging around juvenile justice and DMC, media plans to complement campaigns, and training on CMJ’s press data base. An initial training in D.C. was just the beginning of continued support for CJNY members. CMJ has also committed to publishing a communications strategy tool kit for CJNY members. For further information contact Malachi at mgarza@burnsinstitute.org And, if you need a good laugh, check out the No On Prop 6 You Tube www.youtube.com/watch?v=274L2pxKJe4
CJNY Materials Ready for Orders Materials vary in cost on a sliding scale basis. For more info and to order copies contact Malachi at mgarza@burnsinstitute.org or (415) 321-4100 x 110 .
wShanice Through The System: A multiple choice interactive training that allows participants to experience the complexities of the varying “doors of detention” from arrest to incarceration. Participants gain understanding of juvenile justice systems, the ways that youth are processed and the terminology specific to juvenile justice systems.
wUpset the Set Up: Outlines the steps of successful community-based strategies used to reform the practices and policies of juvenile jurisdictions. Provides research, system mapping, data collection, media and guidance for maintaining accountability.
wYouth & the U.S. Justice System: A
120-page popular education history curriculum that traces developments in the juvenile justice system from the 1500’s to the policies and practices of today. Utilizes images and accessible language.
fear – that he sees nothing positive in his future.’”
YJC Wins Battle to STOP Probation Billing! Among the youth who worked on the campaign were YJC leaders at Camp Scott. The damage to hair by harsh shampoo and the lack of conditioners is evidenced by breakage, hair loss and extreme dryness – especially for African American youth. The girls also appealed to Probation for disposable underwear or use of their own underclothes, due to the issuing of ripped underwear stained by urine, menstrual blood and feces.
When Ruth Mayfield’s son, Marcel, was 14 he was arrested for joy riding and ended up in juvenile hall. Since then,
he’s been to a camp program and three different court-ordered placements. The entire time he’s been in custody, the Los Angeles County Probation Department in California has been running a tab. For more than a year, dozens of families, parents and the CJNY member group Youth Justice Coalition have organized an effort to challenge the Department’s billing of families. On February 13, Probation Chief Taylor announced a temporary moratorium on all billing. The YJC, led by the youth and parents most affected, is now calling for an end to billing, as well as a full investigation on the effects of the practice on youth, families and communities that would be shared with other counties throughout California. Until the February 13 moratorium, the L.A. County Department of Probation charged families – a majority of whom are poor and working class – as much as $23.63 for each
Member Sp
otlight
She is angry at the system of police and courts and juvenile halls and camps and placements – an endless line of uniforms, judges and agencies that hold families accountable for everything, and themselves accountable for nothing. In Marcel’s case, he has earned little school credits, and has never received the mental health and drug treatment he needs. While in juvenile hall, the mental health unit ran out of Resperol, the medication that Marcel takes for ADHD. So mental health changed Marcel to a substitute medication. “For three weeks, Marcel was bouncing off the walls – he got three writeups [for bad behavior], and no one called me,” his mother said.
day or nearly $750 each month that their child was in juvenile hall, and $11.94 for each day they were in camp. The majority of the fees were charged to families while the child was in juvenile hall, therefore making parents financially accountable for the slow movement of cases through court. In some cases, families received bills prior to the case’s disposition, meaning that youth who were potentially innocent of all charges were still billed. What’s at stake if the moratorium on billing doesn’t become permanent? Probation receives its operating costs from federal, state and local tax dollars – approximately $50,000 a year for youth in detention and camp. So, Marcel’s three-year case has cost taxpayers more than $150,000, and has resulted in an added cost to his family of more than $7,000 that Marcel could have instead used to make progress in his life – graduating high school, starting college or a career. Instead, his mother says, “I’ve seen him cry as often as I’ve seen him fight. He wants to come home, but has no idea how to make that happen. What I see in him more than anything is
The medication was eventually changed, but not before damage had been done. When he went to court, the judge only heard Marcel had been in trouble, not why. As a result, he got a harsher sentence and was sent to Probation Camp. Despite the pain and suffering caused, Probation never offered to eliminate or reduce Mayfield’s bills. YGC is now advising all families: Do not pay any outstanding bills. Do not pay any new bills should you receive them. Pass this report on to everyone you know. To reply to Probation, send a letter stating, “I understand that the Probation Department has a moratorium on all billing for juvenile halls and camps. I assume that I will not have to pay any more fees.” To get support, send copies of past and present bills along with any letters you send to Probation: Youth Justice Coalition P.O. Box 73688 Los Angeles, CA 90003. Contact YJC at (323) 327-1259 or freelanow@yahoo.com.
Justice for LA Youth! er Memb
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Spotli
by Adbul Aziz Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana
wards of 100 youth on any given day pre-Katrina. One of the bright spots of reform in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is that through the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), capacity at the facility has remained under 35 – yet the conditions themselves at the Youth Study Center remains deplorable. A number of complaints and grievances filed on behalf of youth point to woefully inadequate healthcare services, little to no educational services, and expansive amounts of time spent on lockdown. Many youth have reported being verbally abused and, in their words, “treated like animals.”
Photo: Abdul Aziz
One youth with kidney problems had to receive medication at a specific time. Although staff at the Youth Study Center in New Orleans was aware of his schedule, there were several evenings when his medication did not arrive. Even when he banged on the doors for help and other youth implored the guards to assist him, staff would repeatedly ignore his cries. Another youth tried to commit suicide multiple times, one time trying to strangle himself with his own handcuffs and another time beating his head repeatedly against the wall. Youth Study staff had been warned by other youth in the facility that the child was threatening to harm himself, but no mental health services were provided to the child. Yet another youth arrived at the Youth Study Center after being the victim of a shooting and losing a large percentage of his vital organs. Yet despite being in agonizing pain, he received little to no medical treatment – or even pain medication – while at the facility.
Several children reported the same ongoing complaints about conditions; including a maggot found in the cold lunch beans and a shower that let out sewage water one morning. Those are just a few of the stories that prompted the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana to file litigation on behalf of the children incarcerated at the Youth Study Center, alongside law firm Holland & Knight, against the City of New Orleans. The lawsuit was filed in Federal District Court in 2007 after attempts to work collaboratively with the city to improve the facility failed and recommendations from Annie E. Casey Foundation experts were virtually ignored. YSC is a secure detention center that holds young people ages 8-16 who are awaiting trial after being arrested in New Orleans. The facility was constructed in 1959 and has undergone at least one renovation to increase its bed count. It is directed by the division of the City of New Orleans Department of Human Services and held up-
In an act that appeared retaliatory and followed the legal filing, the City of New Orleans attempted to restrict JJPL’s access to youth by
A number of complaints and grievances filed on behalf of youth point to woefully inadequate healthcare services, little to no educational services, and expansive amounts of time spent on lockdown. Many youth have reported being verbally abused and, in their words, “treated like animals.” blocking its youth advocates from seeing young people inside the facility. Youth even reported being intimidated by staff and warned not to speak to “those people at JJPL.” YSC staff also interrogated visiting parents. Still, the children and attorneys met a small victory when, after an emergency motion filed in federal court, the judge issued a ruling that mandated that JJPL attorneys
and advocates be allowed to meet with children inside. An even bigger victory occurred in February of 2009, when a judge granted class certification; making way for all youth who may have been subjected to unfit conditions since the filing of the lawsuit until the case is settled to become plaintiffs. However, the litigation itself has been only one small part of the campaign to “Close Youth Study.” JJPL has also been working closely with a dozen community organizations on a campaign to shut YSC down and replace it with a small facility based on best practices and alternatives to detention to provide greater options for youth in Orleans Parish who come into contact with the law. In the past year, community members have held an open mic to educate other youth on conditions in YSC; spoken at City Council hearings on the issue; and delivered over 500 postcards to Mayor C. Ray Nagin, while occupying his office to demand that the jail be shut down. As public support continues to build for a juvenile justice system in New Orleans that does not house children in abusive conditions, JJPL is hopeful that the remainder of 2009 will bring a settlement in the lawsuit to improve conditions,
greater transparency and accountability in the management of YSC, and the construction of a facility that is based on principles of rehabilitation, best practices and respect. Beyond this reform, a longterm impact on New Orleans will be the development of another group of conscious youth working for justice for young people in their city. After having met JJPL advocates who witnessed the horrors of YSC first hand and signing on as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, a number of children have since joined in the campaign to close the Youth Study. In November of 2008, these youth took the campaign one step farther, joining with other New Orleans youth to form Young Adults Striving for Success (YASS), a group dedicated to supporting, educating and empowering young people to tackle the issues that impact their lives. As YASS, JJPL, and all of the organizations in the campaign work together to revision the juvenile justice system in New Orleans, they are building a base of change-makers that will last far longer than the moment when the walls of YSC come tumbling down.
THE WORD... The juvenile justice system is racist, unfair, and unjust. Young people always deserve a second chance, no matter what crime they’ve committed. The staff members in youth facilities need proper training working with young people. I believe that youth jails shouldn’t exist, and if there is something I can do to change it I’ll do my best to change it. The juvenile justice system has to change the way it treats young people in these facilities. My experience in the juvenile justice system helped me to some degree. If my community provides resources for me, I wouldn’t have had to get them in jail, but the staff members in the facility have done a lot of things to hurt young people. Youth Jails I’m in my cell feeling cold The staff doesn’t care The war stories that have been told My experience I’ve chose to share The food taste strange My body filled with pain Struggling with no strength The system is insane Youth Jails have been built Money been wasted What happened to our education Youth jails --can’t explain it -Andre Holder, 19, member of Juvenile Justice Coalition, NY
Photo: Abdul Aziz
Dying Young and Black by James Bell and Tshaka Barrows
O
ne month before the fatal shooting of the young Black father Oscar Grant III by a White transit police officer in Oakland, Calif., Northeastern University researchers published a report about the rising murder rate among black teens. The report found, among other things, that from 2002 to 2007, the number of homicides involving black male youth as victims rose by 31 percent, and when they were the perpetrators, by 43 percent. When looking specifically at gun killings, the numbers rose further: 54% for young black male victims and 47% for young black male perpetrators. By contrast, homicides among White youth increased only slightly, or decreased.
In too many communities across this country, violence among black youth is viewed as almost inevitable. But this inevitability is not driven by an unfeeling and emotionally disconnected generation of young people, as some have purported in the media. Instead, this violence is driven by intentional policies of neglect and abuse by the political and economic elites. Youth of color, in this instance Black youth, are delivered sagging public school systems, overall neglect of youth programming and a reliance on an incarceration system that incubates, cultivates and even administers violence. Is there any doubt that violence results in communities forced into deprivation? The gun becomes the great equalizer, and anyone able can obtain a gun, strap up and take on anyone of any size and strength.
For many Americans, this level of violence is shocking and reinforces the instinct to isolate certain communities even more than they already are. However, for those of us living in those communities and who call the people impacted by this violence our family, friends and neighbors, such statistics reflect something we have been experiencing for some time. Here in California, Vallejo reported its first homicide victim soon after the New Year – a 19-year-old shot dead in a parking lot. Another Vallejo teen was arrested in suspicion of turning the gun on his friend amid a vehicle burglary. A few days later in neighboring Richmond, a male teen was killed in an accidental shooting allegedly by his 16-yearold friend. A few days subsequently in San Francisco, California, an 18-year-old from Oakland was found shot to death in the Hunters Point public housing project. “It is not that the FBI figures tell an inaccurate story about crime trends in America. Rather, they obscure the divergent tale of two communities — one prosperous and safe, the other poor and crime-ridden. The truth behind the fears and concerns of the nation’s underclasses about crime and violence lies deep beneath the surface of the FBI statistical report,” the Northeastern authors wrote.
Range in Riverdale, which allows Chicago residents to circumvent a city ban on handguns by selling them just outside city limits. Activists allege that handguns purchased there are responsible for roughly 70 percent of Chicago gun murders. But community-based organizations alone are not enough. This crisis requires leadership on all levels and should no longer be viewed as an isolated issue tackled only by those directly affected and those who choose to care. Efforts like the Black Men and Boys Initiative of the 21 First Century Foundation, the California Endowment, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and others provide important recognition and resources by focusing attention specifically on young black men and boys with the intention of making substantial widespread improvements by the year 2025. There is a saying that applies to this situation: “If you want to get what you’ve always gotten, do what you’ve always done. If you want something different, you must do something different.”
Today, you see kids not even yet of high school age who regularly carry a gun on them as they walk the streets. The murders that often result may begin as a simple disagreement, but quickly escalate into gunfire. This situation is not just bleak; it will continue to get worse unless enormous changes occur. Community Justice Network for Youth (CJNY) is made up of organizations that are doing everything that they can to work toward not only addressing youth violence, but also holding youth-serving systems accountable for improving life outcomes for the most vulnerable among us. Some of our members in Chicago have formed a collective to organize around “common sense” gun laws. One of their targets for direct action was Chuck’s Gun Shop & Pistol
We must reexamine the way that we as a society view gun-related murder. When the police are involved in a fatal shooting, we are urged not to paint the officer with a wide brush, as seen in the case of Oscar Grant III’s killing. But when the murder is the result of youth-on-youth violence, the “black community” as a whole finds itself immediately under attack. Sometimes, such murders are even used as a justification: Because we kill each other the most, anyone who also kills us should do so without impunity. Even those we pay to serve and protect us. It is time to refocus efforts and resources and create some real change. Let’s take the number of dollars spent on studying black on black violence and instead invest directly in young black men and women to create a different life trajectory for them – and reduce the reliance on guns as a solution to social problems. Our work begins today.
Sign of the Times
Police Abuse Caught on Tape by Christina Gomez
In the first months of this year, technology and a growing movement of concerned citizens exposed shocking incidents that speak to why we work so hard to assure that detention be used as a last resort for youth. Our work specifically involves reducing the use of detention for youth of color because they are often confined for very minor offenses or administrative infractions. Above all, we believe that detention itself is harmful to youth – a point illustrated in a shocking video released in February. In the video obtained by a Seattle television station through an official request four months prior, a male King County sheriff’s deputy is captured physically assaulting a 15-yearold girl in a Seattle holding cell. While it is our hope that the disturbing violence perpetrated in this video is rare, we know that it happens much more often than it should. We have posted this video on our website and are writing about it to highlight that this type of treatment should never happen to a young person in the states’ care and custody. Since the first day of the New Year, we have seen high-profile incidents of police beatings and killings of youth of color made public through the use of video. In the case of Oscar Grant III, the 22-year-old Black father was filmed being shot by a White transit police officer in front of hundreds of Bay Area riders in Oakland, CA – some who were empowered to “cop watch” with camera phones. In the Seattle video, the facility camera meant to monitor detainee behavior instead captured Seattle Deputy Paul Schene assaulting a 15-year-old girl, first by kicking her and slamming her head into the wall, throwing her down by her hair face down onto the floor, slugging her twice while she’s restrained and
finally yanking her up by her hair and handcuffs. Appalling. All this because she kicked her shoes outside the door of her cell. My reaction to her behavior? I’m not surprised; she is 15 and her lack of maturity or understanding of the consequences of immature behavior is to be expected. My reaction to the deputy’s behavior? Completely unacceptable. Who is the adult here? What will be the consequences for his actions? How can someone who is supposed to be a professional that is trained to protect and serve our youth be permitted to exhibit behavior that would have sent a parent to jail? What is clear is the offense the girl was allegedly arrested for, auto theft, and her behavior on the tape once again cannot possibly justify any use of excessive force. Police officers have always played varying roles in the lives of children, from preventing crime and abuse and accessing social services to treating children and youths as potential criminals. With youth of color, the interaction tends to include more incidents of intimidation, arrest, detention, court referral and sometimes – as seen in the case of the 15-year-old girl in Seattle – the use of force. Brian Stewart, the director of CJNY member group Milestone Adolescent Counseling Services in Seattle, told me that this recent case highlights ongoing problems between youth of color and police in Kings County. Seattle residents were “not surprised by the incident,” he said. “For every 15-year-old who is assaulted by the police, there are five other youth who were assaulted that we don’t even hear about because they are afraid to report the incident.” The officer, Paul Schene, is reportedly the third sheriff’s deputy since 2006 to face charges on allegations of excessive force. All three are from same precinct, Burien. Schene has pleaded
not guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge, which itself is a curious characterization of the excessive force shown on the tape. This is not an isolated case, nor will it be the last. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, there is no police department in the United States that is free of misconduct. However, that misconduct is usually perpetrated in the most marginalized communities and takes place outside the gaze of the power elites. Another video released in February from Fresno shows a homeless man being beaten by local police, as he lay helpless and partially restrained on the ground. As videos continue to reveal disturbing police incidents, it’s incumbent upon all of us, as citizens of civil society, to take notice. There’s no doubt that police officers have very difficult jobs. And we respect the instruments of justice when they are administered fairly and equitably. But anyone vested with the power of the state to discharge weapons lethally and deprive citizens of their liberty must be trained and monitored. Incidents like the one in Seattle represent a fundamental breach of the grand bargain that is struck between the governors and the governed. That is what must be addressed. We as citizens must always demand accountability. And never let up until it we receive it.
CJNY on Facebook & Twitter! We use Facebook and Twitter as a way to share news and photographs, fundraise and invite hundreds to an event with a click. Both CJNY and the BI have group pages on Facebook. Search for us by our full names for updates and another way to keep in touch. We are also on Twitter, “tweeting’” under the name cjny. And our website is being redesigned - check it!
www.cjny.org
CJNY Members CJNY’s strength is the powerful work of its members. Any omissions are unintentional. If your organization is not listed please contact us so we can be on our game! Contact Malachi Garza at mgarza@burnsinstitute.org or (415) 321-4100 x110.
WESTERN REGION “N” the Classroom CA Ali International Inc. CA Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Promoting Advocacy & Leadership CA Barrios Unidos CA Bay view Hunters Point Foundation/Youth Services CA Brothers Against Guns CA Catholic Charities of the East Bay CA Center for Community Learning and Development CA Center for Young Women’s Development CA Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice CA CH2A and Associates OR Children’s Defense Fund CA Colorado Progressive Coalition CO Community Restoration Services CA Community Wellness Partnership CA East Bay Asian Youth Center CA Ella Baker Center for Human Rights/Books Not Bars CA Homies Organizing the Mission to Empower Youth CA Homies Unidos CA Korean Youth Community Center (KYCC) CA La Causa/Public Allies CA Legal Services for Prisoners with Children/All of Us or None CA Milestone Adolescent Services WA Office of Restorative Justice/Archdiocese of Los Angeles CA One Fam CA Oregon Social Learning Center OR Pacific News Network/Beat Within CA Pico Youth and Family Center CA San Francisco Youth Commission CA School of Unity and Liberation (SOUL) CA Self Enhancement Incorporated OR Skrappy’s/Tuscon Youth Center AZ St. Mary’s Home for Boys OR Standing Against Global Exploitation CA United Playaz CA The Mentoring Center CA Youth Alive CA Youth Community Restoration Project CA Youth Justice Coalition CA Youth Making a Change/Coleman Advocates for Youth CA
MIDWEST REGION Alternatives IL Am I My Brother’s Keeper/ Revival Tabernacle Ministries IL Arab American Action Network IL BUILD (Broad Urban Involvement & Leadership Development) IL Campaign Against Violence WI Chicago Council on Urban Affairs IL Children’s Defense Fund DC Community Justice for Youth Institute IL Community Panels for Youth IL Community TV Network IL CONTROL-Elementz-Hip Hop Youth Arts Center OH Detroit Summer MI First Defense Legal Aid IL Freedom Inc. WI Girl Talk IL Kaleidoscope IL Kuumba Lynx IL Multicultural Youth Project IL OMNI Youth Services IL One Hood PA Parents Who Care Coalition SD Sankofa Safe Child Initiative of Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health IL Southwest Youth Collaborative IL Teen Build Up/Wexford Ridge Neighborhood Center WI Urban Underground WI Westside Association for Community Action IL YO! The Movement MN Youth As Resources/Chicago Area Project IL Youth Struggling for Survival IL
EASTERN REGION Alternative Rehabilitation Communities PA Boston-area Youth Organizing Project MA Bronx PRYDE/Bronx Defenders NY Center for Community Alternatives NY Children’s Defense Fund NY Correctional Association NY DRUM - Desis Rising Up and Moving NY East Baltimore Youth and Family Services MD Ella J. Baker House MA Esperanza/Hope NY Exodus Transitional Community NY Fearless Leading By Youth DC Forest Hills Community House NY Friends of the Island Academy NY Girls Education and Mentoring Services NY Girls Inc of NYC NY Justice for DC Youth DC Maryland Juvenile Justice Coalition MD No Doubt, Inc NY Peace-a-holics DC Providence Youth Student Movement RI Reflect and Strengthen MA Roca Inc MA The City School MA Institute for Juvenile Reform & Advocacy NY Urban Leadership Institute MD Urban Youth Alliance/Bronx Connect NY Vera Institute for Justice/Youth Justice Program NY Voices of Youth NY Voices Unbroken NY Youth Rights Media CT
SOUTHERN REGION Associated Marine Institutes, Inc. (also in (SC, LA. GA, PA, TX, VA, IL) Be Present Inc Destiny Academy Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children Highlander Research and Education Center Juvenile and Education Training/American Resource Technicians Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana La Plazita Institute MECCA-Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts National Latino Children’s Institute New Orleans Parents Organizing Network PB & J Family Services PODER-People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources Power U Center for Social Change Project South: Institute for the Elimination of Poverty and Genocide SHAPE Self Help for African People through Education Community Center Southern Echo Southwest Key (also in (TX, CA, GA, NY, WI, LA) Spirit House Tejano Center for Community Concerns Texas Families of Incarcerated Youth Tunica Teens in Action-Concerned Citizens FABTC, Inc
SC GA GA LA TN LA LA NM TX TX LA NM TX FL GA TX MS TX NC TX TX MS
CJNY | 180 Howard Street, Suite 320 | San Francisco, CA 94105 Tel: 415-321-4100 | Fax: 415-321-4140 | Website: www.cjny.org For Western region and/or Southern region contact Christina Gomez cgomez@burnsinstitute.org; (415) 321-4100 x102 For Midwest region and/or Eastern region contact Tshaka Barrows tbarrows@burnsinstitute.org; (415) 321-4100 x106 For national activities or Technical Assistance contact Malachi Garza mgarza@burnsinstitute.org; (415) 321-4100 x110