Each of the 2018 Leadership Prize winners have, in their own distinct and critically important ways, created valuable change for youth in the justice and child welfare systems.Â
Jennifer Pokempner, Child Welfare Policy Director,
Ohio’s extended care program, Bridges, contains a lot of elements that have great promise to help young people make a successful transition to adulthood.
Today marks the second anniversary of the monumental, ground-breaking, life-altering landmark decision which literally changed the trajectory of my life -- and that of several hundred life-sentenced children in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who were disappeared from society due to Pennsylvania's mandatory sentencing scheme which required all offenders (including children tried as adults) to be sentenced to a term of life without the possibility of parole -- otherwise known as "death by incarceration" upon conviction for criminal acts that resulted in homicide.
Tomorrow, Florida will consider a state Constitutional Amendment that would protect the rights of youth in foster care to have access to counsel. We need you to call today to support this move! Even if you don't live in Florida, your call will help youth in foster care in the state!
Shanice Holmes, Youth Advocate in Youth Fostering Change,
I first entered care at the age of 14, right before my 15th birthday. At this time, I was attending a High School in West Philadelphia. I want to point out that during my time at this high school, the school had somewhat of a reputation for being out of control and unstructured, but I attended, for about a year, before I was sent to a group home across the state and forced to change schools. At the same time as I was due to move, I was also in the middle of completing credit recovery for the classes I had missed the previous year and I had not done so well in. For me, this change was unexpected and hard to handle, especially because it came without warning. Before I could plan, I was transferred to the group home.
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