Why does this matter? Why should you sign petition?

Started by, Elisa Bravo-Castillo 

Please help me to change the law that sends juveniles into the adult court system. If it were your child what would you do?

The Colorado state law states the following, "Under Colorado law, when children are charged with a crime in adult court, they are immediately removed from the local juvenile detention facility and locked in an adult jail. There is no risk assessment or hearing to determine whether restricted confinement in the adult jail is appropriate. Currently, our law gives judges no ability to keep a direct filed youth in juvenile detention unless the prosecutor agrees. There are no standards governing the prosecutor’s decision to move children to adult jails" (Colorado Dept. of Corrections). 

Adult court systems is not a daycare, they do not provide counseling, proper rehabilitation, and the necessary health resources that a young teenager needs for their mind to develop fully. Adult jails are designed to control and maintain adults, those older than the age of 18. Adult jails were not intended to house a separate juvenile population. While jail
staff and administration do their best to accommodate these children, the physical limitations of these facilities and the need to ensure children’s safety necessarily results in isolation and unwarranted restrictions. If you are trialed as an adult while being a juvenile, it puts you into a world where you are more than likely to reoffend and involve yourself around those who have no good intentions in helping you leave the system. Children locked in adult jails experience worse conditions than the adult population which has greater access to programs and recreation. 

In a juvenile jail, kids wake up, get food, go to school, and revolve themselves around others who are in the same situation. They receive support and feedback to try to make them rethink their life decisions to not commit another or more crimes. Compared to an adult prison where they wait to get orders, there not allowed much time outside or with others, and staff treats them poorly not caring for the age they are in.

In a case that happened a couple years ago, Cyntoia Brown at the age of 16 was used as a sex trafficker, she claimed to use self defense to prevent from getting shot by 43 year old man Johnny Allen who offered her $150 to have sex with him. She was not trialed in the juvenile system, she was sent to adult court system and faced life imprisonment with possibility of parole at age of 67. After 15 years of serving time in prison, she fought for clemency and was released in 2019 at the age of 31. Brown struggled for years trying to rehabilitate mentally from what she had gone through, since the age of 13 she did many illegal actions that placed her into the juvenile system, but after the murder of Allen, she placed herself into a harder life status. Her case amongst thousands of others, are a major reason why teenagers should not be sent to a adult prison. 

Do we want our children to grow up in a place where you lose all your rights, your family, and most importantly your freedom? No, I believe juveniles deserve a second chance to life. The opportunity to not be labeled as an offender, and to prove themselves worthy of leaving the criminal justice system behind. 

I appreciate your time for reading this through and for the hopeful support by signing this petition. 

You may also contact The Colorado Department of Corrections directly to show support or additional questions/concerns. As well as, contacting Colorado's governor Jared Polis. 

1250 Academy Park Loop
Colorado Springs, CO 80910    
Phone: 719-579-9580

Governor Office:

Phone Number: 303-866-2471
Address: 200 E. Colfax Avenue
Room 136
Denver, CO 80203
Email: cdoc@state.co.us