Nearly 100 youths from across the commonwealth, with support from U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, state Rep. Liz Miranda and Suffolk County DA Rachael Rollins, gathered at Beacon Hill Thursday to demand increased funding for education, push for $15 million for the YouthWorks state job program and discuss a change in the juvenile justice system.
“When we invest in youth, we are rising up the entire commonwealth,” Miranda said. “I wouldn’t be in the State House today without my first job at 14. It is important because jobs are seen as more than just an opportunity for a paycheck. It is an opportunity for you, your families and your communities.”
For many at the rally — hosted by the group I Have A Future — the change started with increasing the YouthWorks program in order to help provide for themselves, their families and communities. Pressley and Miranda both talked about their experiences and the importance of youth employment, how they started working at 14 and 15 years old to help take care of their families and help pay the rent.
“People say that youths are lazy and that we don’t work for what we want, but here we all are for what we want,” said Gabriela Ramirez. “It is important to us, so listen to us, please.”
“How often are adults talking about you or at you but you aren’t at the forefront of the conversation, of the policy-making?” said Pressley “… We need more jobs and fewer jails.”
The group also advocated for juvenile justice reform, asking for lawmakers to raise the age of juvenile offenders to 21 instead of 18.
“I am 18 and I can’t smoke, drink or even gamble, but I am supposed to be able to handle prison?” said Vante Brandao Correia with the Dorchester Bay Youth Force.
Rollins said part of the discussion is to look at neurology and studies that show a youth’s brain hasn’t fully developed until at least 25, and that a non-violent offender won’t necessarily be the same person at 40 as they were at 17 or 18 when they committed the crimes.
She likened the idea to Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins and his PEACE unit inside the jail that separates 18- to 24-year-old offenders from the rest of the population to focus on rehabilitation for outside jail.
“(They) are quarantined from the rest of the population there. If we can do that when they are incarcerated and imprisoned I would like to think about it for when they aren’t,” Rollins said. “Or, as they are committing these crimes, to get that targeted group of people services prior to to coming into our system.”
Though, some argued, the solution could be stopping youths before incarceration becomes an option.
“Our education is being limited, and our opportunities to better ourselves are being taken,” said Breaja Nichlos with I Have A Future. “We can no longer stand to be limited. We all need support to succeed. Youth like me who care about our future are in danger of failure, and if they aren’t going to fix it they may as well build more jail cells because that is where youth like me are headed.”
But many agreed that the three issues were interconnected and necessary to provide Massachusetts students with the greatest opportunities for success.
“Not only are youth not provided an effective education or jobs, but then we criminalize them and not give them resources to stay away from crime,” said Veronice Lopes with the Dorchester Bay Youth Force. “When we improve one, the others will improve too … we need to start having serious conversations about well-rounded and effective change.”