A Call to Action
This page offers commentary, relevant statistical facts, information, and positions.
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"We Envision a Society Where There Are No Children in Prison"
A Pew Charitable Trusts study reports over 7.3 million people are incarcerated, on parole or probation in America. While the national statistic is 1 in 31, for African Americans, the rate is 1 out of every 11.
The majority of the criminal justice population are young men of color between 18 and 35 years of age. Their incarceration was predicted when they were children. A child with an incarcerated parent is 60% more likely to follow those footsteps.
- Young women of color have fewer choices of marriage partners.
- It means a disruption in families and a shift in the family structure.
- It means the prison budget is larger than for education and other social service programs.
- It means a potential increase in families living in poverty.
- It means, what we are doing in the area of crime, punishment and reentry is not working.
- It means that at some point, you are going to be affected.