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How one group is breaking the cycle of youth returning to prison

Summary

On any given night, nearly 50,000 youth are incarcerated in facilities away from home in the United States. When children are incarcerated at age 17 or younger, 71 percent end up rearrested within three years of release, according to the Department of Justice. The nonprofit Avenues for Justice, an alternative to incarceration program, keeps 97 percent of its clients from returning to prison after a three-year period. The PBS NewsHour’s Tim McPhillips talks to Avenues for Justice and other youth incarceration experts about the support kids need to succeed and what helps break the cycle.

Five Facts

  • What is the purpose of Avenues for Justice?
  • Where does Avenues for Justice operate?
  • Who does Avenues for Justice work with?
  • How does their program aim to prevent young people from returning to the juvenile justice system?
  • Why do many young people often end up returning to juvenile detention?

Focus Questions

After watching this story, what do you think is the best way to help prevent formerly incarcerated young people from being sent back to prison? In pairs have students research Juvenile Detention in their state and community and research to find if there are any programs similar to Avenues for Justice. Click here for link to statistics from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
  • What are the rate of youth in detention in your state?
  • What is the most common offense?
  • Are there any disparities in the data (race, age, ethnicity)?

    • For More

    This story is part of NewsHour's " Searching for Justice " Series. Searching for Justice explores criminal justice reforms unfolding across the country, as the leaders from both sides of the political aisle attempt to end mass incarceration by rethinking laws that some say have become barriers to work, housing, and economic stability. Click here for more stories and the series and watch for more NewsHour Classroom lesson content based on Searching for Justice stories.
    • Students might also want to watch this interview with Bryan Stevenson on changing the criminal justice system on behalf of children. A full lesson on the interview can be found here .

    Ricky House is a U.S. history educator at an independent school in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where he served as an Urban Fellow and Master of Arts in Teaching candidate. He has over eight years of teaching experience in school systems in Arlington, Virginia, Anne Arundel County Maryland and Washington, D.C. He has appeared on the PBS NewsHour and has also written several columns for the NewsHour. Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning.

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