BUILDING SAFER COMMUNITIES & BRIGHTER FUTURES Do children as young as ten years old end up shackled and in prison? In PA, yes, they do. Imagine seeing a 10-year-old lying on a bare floor in shackles. State Rep. Rick Krajewski from Philadelphia did. At a...
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Vulnerable Youth
REPORT: Juvenile Diversion: A Smart Approach to Reducing Crime
More than 17,000 Pennsylvania children were charged in juvenile court in 2023, and 2/3 of the charges were for misdemeanors or summary offenses, like loitering and disorderly conduct. For those children and their communities, diversion is a better alternative than...
A Step Forward, but Still Falling Back – Jan 17, 2025
PHILLY COURTS DOUBLES DOWN ON LOCKING KIDS UP Just when we thought it was safe(r) to be a kid in Philadelphia, we learn that Philly locks up young people at a rate about four times the national average; more than New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. In our...
STATEMENT: Children First Condemns Use of Youth Seclusion at the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center
Children First Condemns Use of Youth Seclusion at the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center January 10, 2025 Children First is deeply disturbed by the findings in a recent Philadelphia Office of the Youth Ombudsperson (OYO) report on the use of seclusion at...
It is a happy new year – Jan 3, 2025
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE There is good news already this year for Philadelphia children and teens – fewer of them will be locked up and more of them are taking advantage of programs that brighten their futures. It hasn't always been this way. When Mayor Parker...
A Move to Make Things Right – Oct 25, 2024
THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW, RIGHT? For too long, the "lock 'em up" mentality ruled, and children who crossed the law were locked up in facilities that offered little teaching and lots of trauma. In addition to widespread physical and sexual abuse in institutions,...
Vital Statistics for Children in Philadelphia
Vital Statistics for Children in Philadelphia Our children need the tools and resources to achieve and be healthy. In the FY 2025 Philadelphia must: Increase city funding for the School District by $100M. Expand the number of children PHLpreK serves by 250. Give...
Want to Build Safer Communities? – Feb 16, 2024
LOCKING UP TEENS WON'T MAKE OUR CITY SAFER While it is incredibly welcome news that gun deaths in Philadelphia decreased in 2023 from the peaks of the COVID-19 years, there is so much work that needs to be done to prevent people — especially our young people —...
Fact Sheet: Right-Size Interventions for Youth to Prevent Recidivism (HB1381)
Research shows that most youth are not on a path toward adult crime, and over-involvement in the juvenile justice system can increase their likelihood of reoffending. HB 1381 (Rep. D. Miller) reduces the prosecution of children as if they were adults, expands...
Fact Sheet: Ensure Safety for Youth in Juvenile Justice Placements (HB1600) – Nov 2023
Research shows that for most young people, particularly those who are assessed as low-risk or who commit lower severity offenses, out-of-home placement leads to worse outcomes than diversion or probation. However, when young people are removed from their homes to...