[link removed] [[link removed]]
Dear John,
I’d like to tell you about Damon Walker. His story illustrates how we can support young people and keep our communities safe.
Damon’s first contact with the criminal legal system occurred as a teenager, when he became entangled with guns and drugs on the streets of Baltimore. Photo of Damon Walker with crossed arms wearing a black t-shirt [[link removed]]
Even though he was only 16 years old, prosecutors charged him as if he were an adult.
But then something happened that Damon says saved his life:
A judge returned his case to the juvenile court, where it should have been in the first place. The judge decided that Damon was able to return home to his family instead of being sent to jail.
There, with a new appreciation for being home and off the streets, he turned his life around.
Now 45, Damon works to give other youth the chance he got thirty years ago. He advocates for alternatives to incarceration that offer youth education, structure, and purpose.
Will you take a moment to reflect on Damon’s experience?
*
As
a
16-year-old,
Damon
should
never
have
been
charged
as
if
he
were
an
adult.
Young
people
do
not
achieve
crucial
levels
of
impulse
control
and
maturity
until
at
least
their
mid-20s.
Therefore,
they
should
be
treated
and
charged
differently
than
adults.
*
Incarceration
has
proven
to
be
an
ineffective
public
safety
solution
and
should
never
have
been
considered.
Instead
of
steering
young
people
away
from
delinquent
behavior,
it
increases
the
likelihood
of
further
offenses
and
imprisonment
later
in
life.
*
Juvenile
court
alternatives,
also
known
as
diversion,
should
have
been
the
first
option
offered.
For
most
youth,
diversion
is
more
effective
and
developmentally
appropriate
than
court.
Damon’s experience demonstrates how alternatives to incarceration can change youth’s lives and provide them with the support they need to succeed, while helping to keep communities safe.
More youth deserve to have opportunities like the ones provided to Damon. We're ready to bring equity, justice, and hope to our youth, and safety to our communities. Are you?
Please make a donation right now to help build a youth justice system that is more fair, compassionate, and effective. [[link removed]]
Your generosity lets us know that you share our vision for justice – thank you.
Headshot of Jordyn Wilson [[link removed]] Thank you for your partnership,
Jordyn Wilson
Youth Justice Campaign Associate
P.S. With your support, we'll fight to ensure the system treats kids as kids, end youth incarceration, and promote diversion. [[link removed]]
Donate [[link removed]]
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