Prison News
Teenagers in Adult Prisons
The United States is confronted with an increasing prison population in which adolescents are sentenced to hard time in adult prisons. What do we do with teenagers who commit crimes? The North Carolina legislature is considering transferring the authority to try 13, 14, and 15-year-old children as adults for certain felonies from the judges to the prosecutors. Teenagers in prison are more likely to be sexually assaulted, attacked, and commit suicide than teenagers serving time in the Juvenile System. For protection and for punishment, a number of adult prisons place young inmates in solitary confinement. There is data that teenagers who return to society from the adult prison system are more likely to return to prison after committing a violent crime. The New York Times published the following editorial on this controversial issue:
New York Times Editorial
The prudent approach would be for the states to keep children out of adult jails and channel them through the juvenile justice systems, where they could get the counseling and mental health services that so many of them clearly need. But, as it stands today, tens of thousands of young people each year are charged as adults, even for nonviolent offenses and property crimes that do not warrant adult time.
Many states have adopted various protective strategies, under which young inmates are separated from adults who would otherwise prey on them. One of these strategies is to segregate young people in solitary confinement — a soul-killing punishment that condemns young people to spend weeks or even months locked up alone in small cells for up to 23 hours a day, cut off from all contact with other prisoners.
A new study issued earlier this month by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union shows the degree to which extended isolation — which is hard going even for mature adults — can easily lead to mental illness and other damage among emotionally immature young people. The report, Growing Up Locked Down, is based on interviews and correspondence in 2011 and 2012 with more than 125 individuals who were sent to jail or prison in 20 states while under the age of 18.
Prison officials use solitary confinement for several reasons that apply to all prisoners: to isolate inmates who need protection or could be dangerous to others; to deal with those who have mental problems or have threatened suicide; or to punish inmates who break rules, even minor rules like failing to make their beds or close their cell doors. Young people are naturally more prone to rule-breaking because they are impulsive and generally less capable of reasoned judgment.
Like others in solitary, young prisoners are routinely cut off from their families, sometimes denied books or forbidden from writing home. All of this deepens the terminal sense of isolation. Many of the young prisoners interviewed for the report spoke of struggling with acute anxiety, depression, or hallucinations. Some spoke of deliberately injuring themselves or thinking about suicide. Others spoke of being overcome with an uncontrollable rage, which, of course, would get them bounced right back into solitary once they got out.
Corrections officials have a duty to protect the public from crime. But they also have a responsibility not to permanently scar the lives of young people who are far from fully developed when they land in custody. To meet that responsibility, states and localities should ban or sharply minimize solitary confinement for young people, and, more broadly, make sure that fewer of them land in adult jails in the first place.
From Prisonpath: We hope that our postings will help the public understand what prison is like for teenagers.
I won’t be able to thank you fully for the articles on your web-site. I know you’d put a lot of time and energy into all of them and hope you know how much I appreciate it. I hope I could do the same for someone else sometime.
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your very kind words. The articles are issued with the hope that the general public becomes aware of the many problems affecting inmates, their families,and in the end—-society.
By Allen–Danny, in the fifties, it was not unheard of for kids to bring guns to school for the purpose of taking them out on the shooting range.Now, a kid is liable to get expelled for pointing a finger at someone and saying “bang”. In those days, it was considered appropriate for the community as a whole to promote the moral development of its members. That is why kids could be trusted to carry guns. But there was a down side as well. Beating your wife wasn’t considered to be a serious crime. Interracial marriage was illegal in many states.… Read more »
By Danny–Allen I dont believe I was trying to say that anyone was less moral, I was just making a statement on why our prison’s are full with teens.You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink. I take it your not a Christians? not meaning that in a bad way, but still history will show that any people that took God out of their lifes, did not last very long, you did point out the story of Daniel, in which Daniel refused to for get God and not pray, what a wonderful story. Anyways, have… Read more »
[…] crossing of the Rubicon for that young person. In past articles, prisonpath.com has discussed the violence that teenagers face in prison. There will be teenagers sentenced to adult prison by judges for violent crimes, but it should be […]
Working in a school program for incarcerated youth, I see firsthand the devastating results of teenagers being placed in adult facilities. Although our students are housed separately, they are subjected to the same rules and regulations, often severe, and food, often inadequate for their growing nutritional needs. Education, which has been found to be their “ticket out”, is mandated and would appear to be their only hope for a successful future if the stigma of their convictions mightn’t be emblazoned upon them when they are released.
This practice clearly defeats the rehab process. Isolation in prisons along with isolation from families and society opens the door for recidiivism. To protect them from the main population through solitary confinement is in my opinion cruel and inhumane. The judicial system can try as adults but refrain from cohabitation. I agree with the NY times editorial
“States should insure they don’t land their in the first place”
By Alphonso–This practice clearly defeats the rehab process. Isolation in prisons along with isolation from families and community opens the door wider for recidivism. To protect them from the main population through solitary confinement is in my opinion cruel and inhumane. The Judicial system may try as adults but refrain from cohabitation. I agree with the NY times editorial “states should insure they are placed there in the first place.
By Hudythe–FANTASTIC IDEAL! If only we can find an organization or publishing company that will not exploit them further. Oh, American Greed.
By Jason–I was 17 when I was arrested and went to prison at 18.
linda– this should be addressed. The prison I worked at placed a 17yo male in the same cell with a child molester. Had I not brought this to the attention of my DON, I was working as a nurse, this kid would still be in danger in that cell. No one cares.
By Ryan–This type of arrangement should never happen, we are supposed to be more informed on the rights and wrongs in corrections. The matter has to be address NOW before it becomes the accepted norm.
If they can do the crime they can also do the time. The fact is there is nothing in place that holds teens accountable. There is a big difference from stealing to murder, these gang teens know the sys. And they play it. If they want to take life, the law needs to set a standard in letting them know that choose has comes with a pay day, as well as doing good has rewards. Time for Crime!
By Danny
Tim, I say both are and were unrealistic. There is no legitimate rationale for treating young people as secondary citizens with no rights, but allowing them to face adult sentences no matter the level of offense. Conversely, the delay in his parole evaluation was based on an ambiguous situation where collect calls home from prison were astronomically expensive, and who supplied the cellphone[s]? PRISON GUARDS & FREE STAFF!!! Kind of difficult to shove a cellphone up your ass and deliver it to a prisoner during a visit; but extremely easy for them to come in a Guard’s lunchbox. Danny, PLEASE… Read more »
Gary, the person in question committed a serious crime based on the time given, for that he is serving his time. The issue of the cell phone, if it can be shown the phone was not used in additional criminal enterprising, then I agree with you to delay parole for additional ten yrs is unfair. Was it because he would n’t tell how he came to have the phone ? I would think additional 6 months is sufficent. I do not take issue with the original sentence.
By Tim
Tim, if he spoke about where he obtained the phone, odds are he would be killed by staff of the prison. The absurdity of the idea that he can tell other staff about where he got it shows your lack of understanding of the complexities associated with incarceration. Not only would he be a target of staff, but odds are he would have his life shortened once it became known that he tried to implicate the staff involved. Why? Because the staff also bring in a large percentage of the drugs and tobacco found inside. The person receiving the drugs… Read more »
These are rooted issues, left untreated causes these behaviors
By Sonia
True, but does the state have the authority to victimize these young people who were given poor schools? Seems like blaming cancer for your smoking, or your pregnancy on lack of access to contraceptives…
By Gary
Putting the teenagers inn adult prisons is a wrong thing that should be stopped immediately,because it exposes them to abuse and grounds them more in criminal activities. If the government does not have facilities to cope up with this problem,then use probation officers and alternative sentences to apprehend the teens that are in confrontation with the law.
By Rev. Shalom
Good in theory Reverend, having Probation monitor teen’s that are between placement and remaining in the home. Having worked in just such a program, the unwritten or unspoken rule was keep them out of placement, once they turn sixteen the adult system will take over. yes I did have kid’s succeed, but if if your measuring success by not violating their conditions of their probation for various and sometimes series breeches then what have I taught them ?
By Tim
We also ran a conflict resolution / anger management group, with impressive results. However, not every Teen can be kept in the community for his or her own safety and the safety of the community. Warehousing is not the answer either.
By Tim
Those teens that doesn’t benefit from the resolutions is in need of more intensive therapy.. They are still young to say they are a lost. I believe that intensive therapy to break that barrier. Channeling focus on positive behavior and volunteer work can reciprocate the behavior . I say this because I was born in the heart of Fort Apache the Bronx in the 70’s. Mother was a prostitute and dad was a gang member.. I faced a lot of obstacles, their behavior was instilled as young. which seem normal growing up in that environment. Which led to behavior problems… Read more »
Thank you Sonia.
By Gary
This is my calling, I enjoy what I do and passionate for what I believe in . You’re kindly welcome 🙂
By Sonia
Thank you Sonia bfor your input,but what I now persive is that more initiatives like good parenting,access to skills and formal education, poverty eradication and reduction,society involvement in upbringing of children and gospel outreaches as all necessary to be able to tame the teens.
By Rev. Shalom
although my parents did what they did, they had great parenting skills and instilled a lot of faith and prayer. Just their way of surviving and how they were taught at best . Which gave me a conscious when I choose to do otherwise.. their voice of reasoning was embedded in me.. I did make bad choices but not to the extreme that I was incarcerated. But i did go to juvenile detention Spofford, Juvenile detention in the Bronx.. Which my mother attended as well as a youth. Which no longer stands. all the services and strategies mentioned are key… Read more »