FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
April 30, 2015 Camila Gallardo
cgallardo@nclr.org
(305) 215-4259
Capitol Hill briefing highlights community services and programs that strengthen the ability of young Latinos to turn their lives around
WASHINGTON, D.C.—At a Capitol Hill briefing today, a panel of experts on at-risk youth convened by NCLR (National Council of La Raza) with Rep. Tony Cardenas (D–Calif.) expressed urgency for more community programs that prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system and provide effective alternatives to incarceration. Fernando Pizarro, National Correspondent for Univision News, served as moderator and was joined by Dr. Patricia Foxen, Deputy Director of Research, NCLR; Maricela Garcia, CEO of Chicago-based community organization Gads Hill Center; Jeff Fleischer, CEO of Youth Advocate Programs; and Geovany Posadas of the Latin American Youth Center.
The discussion emphasized successful strategies for developing resilient Latino youth and reducing the disproportionate number of young Hispanics in the juvenile justice system. Among the overall youth population of the United States, Latinos make up 19 percent of all 10- to 17-year-olds, yet they represent 25 percent of youth who are incarcerated. On any given day, at least 18,000 Hispanic youth are incarcerated in the United States for mostly nonviolent offenses. For many youth who enter the juvenile justice system, breaking the cycle of recidivism is incredibly difficult. The speakers agreed that ending the school-to-prison pipeline is possible with effective programs and policies that support youth development, prevention services and alternatives to incarceration.
“There’s no question that kids are resilient, but right now the resources kids need in order to be better and succeed are tied up in the system. We need to redirect dollars spent on incarcerating kids back to their communities so we can support young people and their families to succeed in the contexts of their homes and neighborhoods,” said Fleischer.
Foxen recounted the findings of her recently released report, “Resilient Latino Youth: In Their Own Words,” which focuses on young, second-generation American Latinos who struggled to cope with poverty, discrimination or disengagement but overcame those obstacles to become productive members of society. Her research took place at Hispanic-serving community organizations such as Gads Hill Center, where Latino youth connect with adult mentors and participate in skills sessions and other activities that can help them avoid prison.
“I learned from this research that resilience can be nurtured in the most adverse of situations. The young people I spoke with—all children of immigrants—demonstrated many strengths, but all credited community-based programs and mentors as helping them overcome challenges that would have otherwise been impossible. Instead of continually expanding our juvenile justice population, we must support policies and comprehensive programs that build on the strengths of young Latinos and their families, and help these youth turn their lives around,” Foxen said.
NCLR has called on Congress to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act to end decades of so-called “tough-on-crime” policies. Any reauthorization should also include Rep. Cardenas’s “Prohibiting Detention of Youth Status Offenders Act” to end youth incarceration for noncriminal offenses, and implement policies such as the “REDEEM Act,” introduced by Sens. Cory Booker (D–N.J.) and Rand Paul (R–Ky.) to promote rehabilitation rather than criminalization of youth. Strengthening our education system can also play a crucial role in youth resilience; NCLR continues to work with members of Congress to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and implement the Common Core State Standards in a number of states so that schools will better prepare Latino students for higher education and the workplace.
At the community level, NCLR supports culturally appropriate, holistic programs that encourage positive youth development and mental health, reinforce workforce skills and learning in school and introduce students to new interests and technologies. For youth and families living in mixed-status families or poor neighborhoods, community-based interventions such as the NCLR Escalera Program provide critical support to youth and their parents. Through mentoring and other programs, Escalera promotes career exploration, skills and leadership development, personal development, academic support and overall well-being.
“Community-based organizations like Gads Hill Center in Chicago provide critical support to help youth overcome adversity. To increase chances to build resilience, children must develop a sense of hope that comes from caring adults. The role of mentors is very powerful in the life of a child. When youth develop strong self-esteem and socioemotional competencies, they do well in school and in life,” said Garcia.
NCLR’s recently released report, “Resilient Latino Youth: In Their Own Words,” can be found at www.nclr.org.
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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