Note: Reaching out to legislators proved especially difficult this semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many systems are effectively shut down. Additionally, many government agencies, politicians, and private industries are directing their efforts and resources primarily to address the pandemic and associated crises.
Selection of Bill for Legislative Analysis & Advocacy (January 28, 2020)
SB 889 is a senate bill being proposed by California state senator Nancy Skinner, D- Berkeley. The bill would make it so that 18- and 19-year-olds would be referred to the juvenile system rather than be tried as adults. This carries significant social justice implications when considering issues regarding the United States prison system.
The University of Rochester Medical Center (n.d.) points out that, compared to adults, teenage brains lack development and process information through the amygdala rather than the prefrontal cortex, which “responds to situations with good judgement and an awareness of long-term consequences.” The brain of a 19-year-old lacks this decision making capacity. In a society that supposedly values “correction” and reformation, offering these younger individuals counseling and other resources for juveniles would offer a more effective route to rehabilitation.
Additionally, housing “youths” in an adult prison system is unethical as they are disproportionately subjected to more trauma compared to the rest of the prison population. Troilo (2018) illustrates that younger individuals housed with adults are “at the highest risk of sexual abuse…are also 36 times more likely to commit suicide than youth in juvenile facilities, and are at a greater risk of being held in solitary confinement than they would be in juvenile facilities.” Given that violence begets more violence (i.e. the abused becoming the abusers), it’s beneficial for all of society that these individuals be rehabilitated more appropriately.
I support this proposed legislation because I feel it aligns with social justice values. I believe this legislation will benefit social welfare by reforming more lives and lessening the burden of an already overcrowded criminal justice system that disproportionately incarcerates lower socioeconomic individuals and people of color.
References
Troilo, M. (2018). Locking up youth with adults: An update. Retrieved from https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2018/02/27/youth/
University of Rochester Medical Center (n.d.) Understanding the Teen Brain. Retrieved from https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=3051
Legislative Advocacy Bill Update (February 12, 2020)
I feel that my progress in supporting SB 889 has been somewhat slow. I have yet to email or send out letters to the legislators because I am unsure about the quality of the product (letter) I am sending. As far as amendments, I intend on including more facts and sources to support my advocacy. Conversations with peers regarding the legislation have been interesting. I’ve noticed that there are many individuals who oppose raising the juvenile age (18- and 19-year-olds being referred to juvenile versus adult justice system). Analysis regarding a bill passed in Vermont indicated that individuals processed through the juvenile system are less likely to re-offend (Becker, 2019). This should be welcomed from a public safety perspective. Housing younger individuals in adult prisons increases the likelihood of abuse and solitary confinement. We are all aware of the science and literature which states that this is counterproductive to “correction” or rehabilitation. I will probably change the letter to place more emphasis on compassion to supplement the scientific and logical reasoning. I find the racist and unparalleled status quo to be very upsetting (why do we have the highest incarceration rate in the world? I don’t believe Americans are any less moral than other people in the world).
References
Becker, D. (2019). Why Vermont Raised Its Juvenile Court Age Above 18 – And Why Mass. Might, Too. Retrieved from https://www.wbur.org/news/2019/10/03/juvenile-court-age-vermont-massachusetts
Letter to Senator Nancy Skinner (February 22, 2020)
Dear Senator Skinner,
As a constituent, an undergraduate student of social work, and former inmate, I am writing to you in support of SB 889. In a nation reputed for incarcerating a tragically high number of its citizens, this proposal is a compassionate, logical, and consequential action for social justice and our state’s future.
Analyses of a similar proposal in Vermont projected long-term benefits of lowering public safety costs. 16- and 17-year-olds engaged with the juvenile court system demonstrated decreased rates of recidivism. Raising this to include 18 and 19-year-olds would understandably produce similar results given the lack of distinction between the brains of emerging adults.
I agree that “processing teenagers through the juvenile justice system will help ensure they receive the appropriate education, counseling, treatment, and rehabilitation services necessary to achieve real public safety outcomes.”
Columbia University’s Emerging Adult Justice Project argue that these measures will help eschew our country’s mass incarceration. Scientific evidence and moral tents argue that processing emerging adults through the juvenile system is in the interest of public welfare and social justice.
Your endeavors and successes in addressing climate change, income inequality, criminal justice, education, and housing show that you’re committed and driven to create in the interest of all people and the natural world. With SB 889, you continue to demonstrate this commitment.
Sincerely,
Ivan Carnice
Ivan Carnice 