#prisonkids

In The Hunger Games, teenagers are forced to fight and die in the arena - but they are also leaders of the revolution.  The Brownsville Youth Court also envisions young people as leaders and changemakers.  The Court hears low-level cases for first-time offenders between 10 and 18, like Faith Garrett, who was arrested for stealing an umbrella. And unlike regular court, the jurors, judges, and attorneys, too, are all teens.

Garrett says she was initially suspicious about her case being overseen by a court of fellow teenagers.

In The Hunger Games, teenagers are forced to fight and die in the arena - but they are also leaders of the revolution. The Brownsville Youth Court also envisions young people as leaders and changemakers. The Court hears low-level cases for first-time offenders between 10 and 18, like Faith Garrett, who was arrested for stealing an umbrella. And unlike regular court, the jurors, judges, and attorneys, too, are all teens.

Garrett says she was initially suspicious about her case being overseen by a court of fellow teenagers. 

“I got nervous because I didn’t know the kids, and I didn’t want the kids to judge me,” she said. “But when they started asking the questions, they were trying to help me.”

Just as the children of Panem are thrown into the Hunger Games while adults are safe, many youth are jailed for nonviolent offenses that would not be considered criminal if they were adults. The United States incarcerates children at a higher rate than any other developed nation. Many of these young people will spend time in solitary confinement, where they are denied human contact, fresh air, and more.

In Panem, many teens spend their time in the arena alone, fearful and in need of aid. Those that survive deal with PTSD, depression, anxiety and other forms of mental illness. Yet, for 74 years, no one spoke up. We can speak up for the seventy percent of children behind bars in our world struggling with mental health. We can decrease that number by fighting for youth justice.

Fusion and their Prison Kids documentary is taking a small first step by working to ban solitary confinement for minors. You can sign their petition and learn more by watching the documentary.