A core principle many development professionals ascribe to goes as follows: each and every child needs five adults who are willing to sow into their lives as they grow. These adults must be willing to love and mentor these young people, forming the foundation of the child’s life.
But what happens when the only adults a child can access are police officers, prison guards and parole officers? The foundation begins to crumble, quickly. For taxpayers, the Justice Policy Institute found incarcerating one juvenile for one year costs close to $148,000. Jailing juveniles doesn’t add up both for the future of our country and for our financial well-being. More here.