Families of Incarcerated Children
In 2014, Serial broke the story of Adnan Syed and his conviction for the murder of Hae Min-Lee in 2000. The podcast broke international records with its searing account of the Baltimore courts, and sparked an international discussion about the American legal process. But one key aspect of the story evaded even the most observant listeners; Syed was incarcerated as a minor. He is still serving a life sentence that he began when he was but seventeen years old, transported from his messy bedroom and his normal, high school life straight to a cell.
His family and friends garnered international attention for the case, but the families of incarcerated children often work in obscurity on behalf of their loved ones. Our organization is in this for them. We want to help families of incarcerated children with tools and coping strategies that will soften the pain of their situations. This starts with helping families of incarcerated children to understand that they are, unfortunately, not alone.
You should know that incarcerating children at a high rate is not widely acceptable in developed countries. However, it fits with the larger picture of mass incarceration in the United States. As of the most recent statistics from the Bureau of Justice (2014), the number …show more content…
Social, economic, and racial disparities play out on the great stage of the courts, exposing youths to a legal system built on punishment and not rehabilitation. Children who find themselves incarcerated are much more likely to have experienced violence in their homes and neighborhoods. Of more than 1500 child offenders serving life sentences surveyed in 2012, 79% reported that violence was commonplace in their home. Additionally, 46.6% told the researchers that they did not attend school at the time of their offense[3]. Race plays a defining role as well, with young black men incarcerated at high rates compared to their white
In 2014, Serial broke the story of Adnan Syed and his conviction for the murder of Hae Min-Lee in 2000. The podcast broke international records with its searing account of the Baltimore courts, and sparked an international discussion about the American legal process. But one key aspect of the story evaded even the most observant listeners; Syed was incarcerated as a minor. He is still serving a life sentence that he began when he was but seventeen years old, transported from his messy bedroom and his normal, high school life straight to a cell.
His family and friends garnered international attention for the case, but the families of incarcerated children often work in obscurity on behalf of their loved ones. Our organization is in this for them. We want to help families of incarcerated children with tools and coping strategies that will soften the pain of their situations. This starts with helping families of incarcerated children to understand that they are, unfortunately, not alone.
You should know that incarcerating children at a high rate is not widely acceptable in developed countries. However, it fits with the larger picture of mass incarceration in the United States. As of the most recent statistics from the Bureau of Justice (2014), the number …show more content…
Social, economic, and racial disparities play out on the great stage of the courts, exposing youths to a legal system built on punishment and not rehabilitation. Children who find themselves incarcerated are much more likely to have experienced violence in their homes and neighborhoods. Of more than 1500 child offenders serving life sentences surveyed in 2012, 79% reported that violence was commonplace in their home. Additionally, 46.6% told the researchers that they did not attend school at the time of their offense[3]. Race plays a defining role as well, with young black men incarcerated at high rates compared to their white