Juvenile incarceration has proven to be a tricky matter for the justice system. As symposium speakers Juliana Ratner (of the Free Minds Book Club) and John Perry (former Director of Planning for the VT State Department of Corrections) discussed this past Tuesday, incarceration of our youth at an early age often interrupts the normal life course development, schooling, and hopes for employment in adulthood. Most states set the age of adult prosecution around 16, which is now being questioned as too young for defendants to actually be making the decisions expected of an adult- Vermont, however, despite its liberal tendencies, legally prosecutes anyone over age 10 as an adult. While Vermont may continue to prosecute 10 year olds as adults, many states are reconsidering this; check out this NYT article on states prosecuting fewer teenagers in adult courts for more details on the developments in different states.
If you want to get involved, also be sure to check out the Free Minds Book Club writing blog, where young men who have been incarcerated in the DC prison system post their poetry and writing. They love getting feedback and comments, so you're definitely encouraged to comment or write to them!
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