CAMPAIGN NEWS: PRESS COVERAGE
Testimonials
- Youth Testimonials
Most kids do stuff
because theyre having problems in their family, to get attention not all of
them, but most of them. - Detained boy in Calcasieu Parish
I
dream of living a happy life and having a family that cares about and loves me.
Getting
out and raising a family.
Go
to JobCorps and get a career going
Becoming
a counselor and a cook. I want to
counsel problem kids and work with them with cooking. (Cooking therapy).
Be
successful a rap star or basketball player
My
dream for my life is to go offshore, get a house, a family and a nice car.
My
Mom and my Dad.
Having
fun with family and seeing them every day.
I
cant wait to hug and kiss my little niece,
My
mother, my sisters, my brothers, my whole family, the people I was close to
I
just miss going to the fridge in the middle of the night,
A
hot bath
sleeping
in my own bed,
When
Im in here, says one boy who is in
his third month of detention, I worry about my family being safe. I miss fishingjust being alone for
awhile and having time to think.
When asked
what they would change about the youth prisons, kids answered:
Id
let friends and girlfriends come and visit.
I
would stop sergeants from messing kids over abusing them. I would use the cameras more, and get
them to stop acting untouchable and pushing kids.
I
would try my best to get new sergeants cause these ones bring in contraband
I
would go around the dorms to see what offenders need
I
would try to have incentives for those that are doing well
I
would put radios in every dorm
The
way things is. The way some of the
staff be treating us. Some treat
us bad, some treat us good. Treat
everyone equal.
I
would make the security stricture use the cameras because the officers beat the
kids up outside. I would not have
them give tickets for play fights, they are ridiculous.
I
would have people helping people giving them more options and things to open
their mind up to.
Talk to me, get to know
me Listen to what I have to say, listen to whats going on because people do
change. When I first come to court ask me questions before we go in front of
the judge. Get to know me better before they send me off to places and
stuff. Try to come down to our
level and give good advice. Spend time with me. Listen to myside of the story he told me you have to take
this plea bargain. Didnt want to
hear the facts. In court he
wouldnt say anything on my behalf.
A lot of people get sentenced to time, and the time they get sentenced
to dont match the crime and the young people really do need help in juvenile
corrections.
On the above date and time
(6-11-02) I C.S. tried to get some justice but they (Tallulah staff) just dont
seem to be feeling me. So I feel like Im not being treated like the rest
of the youth. Even though Im the only black American striving for a
better life but if it takes making a big civil rights movement then thats what
I must do. Incarcerated youth
when I came here they told
me it was to get treatment and work through my problems, and nowhere on that
paper did it say I was coming up here to get abused. Theyre giving us
more problems than we have already. And they wonder why we trying to hang
ourselves, getting in fights, taking pills. They shouldnt bring no more
children here because it only makes them worse. I never used to cut
myself before coming here. How can you focus on your own problems when
they giving you more? Incarcerated youth