America needs serious reform in the juvenile justice system, according to Francis Guzman, a former youth offender turned youth-advocate attorney.
“At age 15, I was arrested for robbing a liquor store with a handgun. Although this was my first offense, I was sentenced to 15 years – the maximum time allowable by statute – and committed to the California Youth Authority (CYA), the state’s juvenile prison system,” says Guzman.
“Approximately 250,000 youth under age 18 are tried in the adult criminal system each year, with nearly 100,000 incarcerated in adult jails and prisons. These statistics are the aftermath of a narrative dating back to the early ‘90s,” the Slate Group reported.
Guzman said, “When I arrived in 1996, the CYA had over 10,000 youth in a prison system designed to hold only 6,000. There were unconscionable levels of violence and corruption. Many of the youth committed to the CYA had long histories of abuse, abandonment, and neglect; many more suffered from developmental disabilities.”
Currently, California’s Department of Juvenile Justice has less than 700 juveniles in custody.
“I was committed to the CYA to be rehabilitated, according to the judge who sentenced me. Instead, I came out of the justice system in far worse shape than when I went in. I learned to distrust authority, and to deal with conflict through aggression and violence. For years after my release I suffered from post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression stemming from my experiences inside,” Guzman adds.
The Slate Group reported, “Youth in adult jails and prisons are more likely to be assaulted both sexually and physically by other inmates and by guards. They have little to no access to…mental health care tailored to their age.”
Guzman said, “It wasn’t until I enrolled in Oxnard College that I found compassionate mentors who provided me with the education, support, and services that I needed to grow and heal. Eventually I transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, and earned a B.A. in English. Later I graduated from UCLA School of Law with a specialization in public interest law and policy.
“Today I am an advocate and staff attorney at the National Center for Youth Law. My work focuses on challenging the practice of prosecuting and incarcerating youth in California’s adult criminal justice system, while advocating for local treatment.”
“We must break the stranglehold that law enforcement has over the treatment of youth in trouble and allow families and communities to play a larger role. Today, juvenile crime rates are at historic lows. This is not a public safety issue; it’s a public health issue.”
