REACHING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
Even before the recent economic downturn, there was an increase in theft crimes among adults as well as our youth. Theft and violence bring more of our young people into the system than any other crime. There are a number of programs designed to prevent delinquency as well as teach young people how to interact with the police. In the past, there has been an emphasis on confining young people to a correctional facility as a means of last resort. The confinement was to be for the shortest amount of time necessary. In recent years the crimes committed by youths have become more violent and the punishment has become harsher. We have seen juveniles sentenced to life in prison, and they are not always separated from hardened criminals. They may go into the system as chronic juvenile delinquents and come out as a professional criminal.
Statistics show that the majority of juvenile crimes are committed by repeat offenders between the ages of 9 and 17. Juveniles commit more violent crimes than adults. These youths usually come into conflict with the law at an early age and go in and out of the system until they are sentenced to numerous years or life in prison.
Young people are entering the system at a very early age. To prevent this, we must begin reaching out to at-risk juveniles at an equally early age. This is what led us to form a team to write books using case scenarios to show youth, and their parent, how one bad choice can lead to lifetime tragic consequences.”
Clara Hunter King’s recent book, Thirty-Five Years on Death Row: The Roger Collins Story, a true story about a young man who has been on death row since he was 18 years old, and This Is Not Cool, Volumes I & II, show clearly how wrong choices ruined the lives of teenagers and devastated their parents. This is Not Cool is a series of short stories written by a group of criminal defense attorneys and a private investigator who were appalled by the number of young people entering the criminal justice system. They formed a non-profit organization, Watchdogs For Justice, Inc. (hereinafter WFJ), and wrote the books for the specific purpose of doing something to address the problem. WFJ was established in June of 2003. This Is Not Cool, Volume I, was published in 2006 and made the Essence Best Sellers List in 2007.
In their effort to educate young people and their parents, the WFJ Team has conducted seminars and workshops throughout Georgia, in Los Angeles and Inglewood, California, Normal, Alabama, and Danville, Illinois. They have conducted seminars and workshops in Churches, libraries, colleges, universities, apartment complexes, homeless shelters, Museums, and private homes.
