WASHINGTON, D.C. — Youth advocate Kawana Billy nearly jumped out of her chair listening to the way a white D.C. Council member described Black youth in Washington. To him, they were “dangerous” and “radioactive,” and at one point, he alleged young people carry guns and scare residents. “It’s very interesting how folks are using these […]
Juvenile Justice
Posted inCriminal Justice, Juvenile Justice, Partner Content, Public Safety
Juvenile Detention Centers: No School, No Fresh Air and Isolated
This story was originally published by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism. Subscribe to their newsletter here. In the hours after 17-year-old David was locked in housing unit H, voices filtered into his cell. The sound came from multiple places at once: the seams of the door, the vent by the ceiling, the walls themselves. They knew he’d just […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice
Track Meet Turns Tragic: Karmelo Anthony Indicted on Murder Charge
A Collin County, Texas, grand jury indicted Karmelo Anthony on Tuesday for the first-degree murder of Austin Metcalf, according to multiple news reports. What began as a dispute over a seat at a high school track meet on April 2 at a school that neither of the boys — then 17 — attended, ended in […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Juvenile Justice
They Got Life in Prison at 17. Now They’re Helping Others Avoid That Fate.
As a teenager, John Pace dreamed of playing football or becoming a police officer. But growing up in Philadelphia, he found himself drawn to older people in the neighborhood — especially those with negative habits who always seemed to have the freshest clothes and the most respect. In 1985, Pace learned exactly how some of […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Juvenile Justice
Dozens of Black Children Are Enduring Dangerous Heat Behind Bars
Days after an emergency filing was made to remove juveniles from the Louisiana State Penitentiary because of potentially deadly heat conditions, the judge assigned to the case conducted a surprise visit to the facility. Although the judge’s findings have not been revealed yet, last week’s emergency federal court filing argued that dozens of mostly Black […]