Maine can continue taking steps in the right direction by keeping the youngest offenders out of the justice system.
long creek youth development center
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
Lawmakers consider bill to prohibit prosecuting anyone younger than 12
The measure would also eliminate the minimum stay for youths committed to the state’s only youth detention center, and would commit no one younger than age 14.
advertisement
Posted inLocal & State, News, Uncategorized
Lawmakers support plan to reduce number of incarcerated youths
A bill that won the support of a legislative committee Friday would require a gradual reduction in the number of juveniles at the Long Creek Youth Development Center.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
Bill aimed at reducing number of youths held at Long Creek gets mixed reviews
Lawmakers hear from proponents of reform and those who say the measure doesn’t go far enough to close down the state’s problematic detention center in South Portland.
Posted inOp-eds, Opinion
Commentary: Black youth of Maine disproportionately targeted for mass incarceration
Black History Month serves as a reminder to not only reflect on the harm done but also to take action – starting with closing Long Creek.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News, Politics
Bill would phase out use of Long Creek youth detention center
The measure would also prohibit courts from detaining juveniles solely because they can’t be sent home, but critics say it doesn’t go far enough.
Posted inEditorials, Opinion
Our View: Maine should stop using youth prison for ‘care’
It’s time for lawmakers to respond to wasteful and ineffective spending on youth incarceration.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News, Politics
National group advises Maine to invest in community services to reduce juvenile incarcerations
Preliminary findings by the Center for Children’s Law and Policy show that 53% of detained youths were held because the state lacked alternative places to house them safely.
Posted inMaine Voices, Op-eds, Opinion
Maine Voices: Spend juvenile-justice money on Maine’s youth, not prisons
Young people who have been in Long Creek urge the state to invest in things like housing, education and after-school programs.
Posted inOp-eds, Opinion
Commissioner Liberty: Editorial casts Maine’s correctional system in unduly bleak light
The rehabilitation of our friends, family and neighbors drives the system and Maine’s Department of Corrections.