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.

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.

Your generosity lets us know that you share our vision for justice – thank you.

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.

www.sentencingproject.org

The Sentencing Project
1705 DeSales St. NW
8th Fl
Washington, DC 20036
United States

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