FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 13, 2022
Contact:
Kate Rubin | 917 647 5777 | krubin@youthrepresent.org
Julia Davis | 347 907 2761 | jdavis@childrensdefense.org
Youth, Community, and Civil Rights Organizations Lay Out a Bold
Youth Justice Agenda for 2022
Organizations call on lawmakers to embrace a public health approach to gun violence; resist rollbacks to landmark Raise the Age law; Invest in communities of color, and promote the leadership of youth directly impacted by the legal system
New York, NY - Over 50 youth, community, and civil rights organizations statewide released the 2022 Youth Justice Platform for New York. The COVID-19 pandemic has compromised the safety and stability of families, highlighting and exacerbating existing inequalities and disproportionately impacting youth of color.
This is the moment for a bold new vision for youth justice that promotes safe, resilient communities. Our leaders at every level of State and City government must embrace these principles to promote true community safety and well-being. The key elements of the Platform include:
Promoting and Centering the Leadership of Directly Impacted Youth and Young Adults
Building on the Success of Raise the Age, While Resisting Calls to Roll Back This Crucial Reform
Embracing a Public Health Response to Gun Violence
Investing in Health, Mental Health and Well-Being for Youth and Families
Focusing Investments on Education, Employment for Youth, and Economic Mobility
Supporting Youth Justice Reforms; and
Building Community Capacity to Reduce Youth Incarceration and Reinvest Savings from Youth Prison Closure
The Campaign also released a short brief summarizing Myths vs. Facts About New York’s Raise the Age Law. After the Raise the Age law went into effect in 2018, arrests and incarceration of 16-and 17-year-olds declined while crime remained the lowest it has been in New York in decades. Nevertheless, some have falsely blamed these long-overdue reforms for the recent increase in gun violence in New York. This document sets the record straight.