NJISJ and 150 Years is Enough Campaign to Host Lock Arms to Unlock Our Kids Rally on May 18

Hundreds Expected to Call for Transformation of New Jersey’s Youth Justice System

NEWARK, NJ — The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and the 150 Years is Enough campaign will host a Lock Arms to Unlocks Our Kids rally on Saturday, May 18, calling on elected officials to halt the construction of any new youth prisons in New Jersey and, instead, to invest in restorative and reparative community-based care for New Jersey’s vulnerable youth. Community members are encouraged to attend and participate.

The rally will feature opening remarks by Rev. Charles Boyer of Bethel AME Church in Woodbury, NJ, followed by remarks from other esteemed community, faith, and political figures. There will also be performances by local artists.

WHAT:  Lock Arms to Unlock Our Kids Rally for youth justice transformation

WHEN/WHERE:

Saturday, May 18, 2019

1:30 pm – Meet and Rally at West Side High School (auditorium), 403 S. Orange Ave., Newark

3:00 pm – March to So. Orange Ave. and Grove St. to lock arms around proposed youth prison site (see below)

Background

The youth justice system in New Jersey is broken. Suffering from a “school to prison pipeline,” the system is plagued with racial disparities: a Black child is 30 times more likely to be detained or committed than a white child, even though Black and white children commit most offenses at similar rates. The state incarcerates young people at a cost of almost $300,000 per child per year, and does not meaningfully increase public safety.

Acknowledging these staggering racial disparities, Gov. Phil Murphy established a youth justice Task Force and promised to transform the system into one of treatment, rehabilitation and positive reinforcement. But just days after the first Task Force meeting, New Jersey announced plans, with no community input, to build a new youth prison in Newark on an environmentally compromised site (where we will gather on May 18). While Newark’s Mayor Ras Baraka has stated this won’t happen, Gov. Murphy has yet to clearly denounce the plan. The plan is part of the state’s broader initiative to invest $160 million to build three new youth prisons in the northern, central (Ewing) and southern (Winslow Township) regions of New Jersey.

Before leaving office, Gov. Chris Christie announced the closure of two youth prisons, Jamesburg for boys and Hayes for girls. Both remain open.

At the Lock Arms to Unlock Our Kids Rally, community members of all ages will call for a halt to any plans to build new youth prisons in New Jersey, and for a reinvestment of funds into community-based wraparound support services that will allow children to remain closer to their families and communities, producing better outcomes.

For the last resort incidents when out-of-home placement is necessary, there already exist youth residential homes at half capacity that can be used and, when necessary, adapted to fit security needs. Building new youth prisons will only act as an economic incentive to fill new beds with New Jersey’s vulnerable youth.

Please find an open letter to elected officials signed by over 500 individuals and organizations here.