Reducing Youth Incarceration in Philadelphia: Solutions for Local and State Leadership

We are horrified, but unfortunately unsurprised, to learn that Philadelphia continues to incarcerate youth at rates far greater than other major cities, despite the pervasive abuse in juvenile facilities. As Samantha Melamed reported, decades of research show us that locking kids up is not the solution to reducing crime, and the deeper kids go into the system, the worse off they are long term, and the more likely they are to be arrested and incarcerated again.

Addressing this issue requires a two-fold approach involving local and state leadership. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and City Council must fund local programming for a real continuum of care — one that includes diversion programs and evidence-based alternatives to incarceration, including access to a quality education — so that children have access to all the services they need, in an intentional and proactive way.

We also need substantive changes to state laws that contribute to our overreliance on incarceration. We need to invest in diversion and community-based programs, stop charging children as adults, and require state agencies to properly monitor what happens in facilities before another crisis or child death occurs. The problems and solutions have already been identified; it is time we act on them. Our groups are ready and willing to work with anyone, in any venue, at any time, to finally make real change in this harmful system.

Margot Isman, policy director, Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project and partners at Children First, Juvenile Law Center, Education Law Center, and the Defender Association of Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Inquirer published this statement on January 21, 2025.