Christina: More than the Charges
“A sophomore in high school. A sister. A daughter. Still maturing and growing as a person.”
That’s how YSRP client-partner Christina would have described herself at 16 years old. The legal system saw her differently, trying and charging Christina with felony murder and changing the trajectory of her future significantly.
Facing charges that automatically called for Christina to be prosecuted as an adult meant she also lacked certain protections reserved for young people in the juvenile legal system. That included having her name—and mugshot—included in the local news. As a result, she felt judged immediately, regardless of the truth or context.
Before she was convicted or sentenced, Christina was placed in the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. She was then transferred to the Juvenile Justice Service Center, a temporary holding facility designed to house young people awaiting trial. In practice, it has become a longer-term, dangerously overcrowded place for those sentenced but awaiting an available "bed" in a secure state facility. Detention facilities like the JJSC are intended to temporarily house young people for up to a few weeks. For Christina, it was home for two years. years
“When kids are charged as adults, they could be there for two or three years,” said Christina. “There’s a lot of people coming in, but not too many going out.”
The time spent at the JJSC did not count toward her eventual sentence. That means, from the time Christina was a sophomore in high school to the time she would have reached college age, she had wasted years being shuffled between an adult facility, the JJSC, and ultimately to placement. She would have already had a degree if she had spent that time in her community. And as a promising student who had been accepted with a full scholarship to Howe Military Academy before her arrest, that would have been an attainable reality.
Though YSRP couldn’t give her that time back, we did help prepare a mitigation report that detailed Christina’s background and presented a clearer picture of who she is—not what the criminal legal system and the media perceived her to be.
“I wish the people that told stories like mine would actually talk to people about who we are. They could talk to teachers, family members, friends, and people in the community instead of just the person they think is behind the case,” said Christina. “We are human too. And if you do figure out who the person is, it can help better to understand them, why they probably did what they did, and how to help them.”
Today, Christina is a college student, a sister, and a valued member of her community. She is majoring in architecture and interior design. And she credits that in part to YSRP’s support.
“It made me feel that there was hope. You’re not just alone. Even if the outcome isn’t what you want to happen, you have someone who will be there for you.”
photos by Nico Crachi