As policymakers await the newest budget priorities to be laid out by Gov. Mike DeWine, advocates for the state's children are hoping comprehensive child well-being will be at the top of the list.
WCSM Radio - We Do It For You !! - WCSM Radio wcsmradio.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wcsmradio.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Fund alternatives to youth incarceration
By Kenza Kamal - Contributing columnist
It costs Ohio taxpayers $185,303 to incarcerate one child for one year. This is a staggering amount for us to spend on youth incarceration, an ineffective and harmful approach to the needs of communities in our state – particularly young Black Ohioans, who are six times more likely than their white counterparts to be incarcerated.
Amidst this past year’s surge in grassroots organizing and Black youth-led movements, several states are planning to end the status quo and change course. Ohio’s lawmakers are currently in the process of creating our state budget for the next two years, which is an opportunity for us to shift resources from the dangerous practice of youth incarceration to community-based approaches.
It costs Ohio taxpayers $185,303 to incarcerate one child for one year. This is a staggering amount for us to spend on youth incarceration, an ineffective and harmful approach to the needs of communities in our state–particularly young Black Ohioans, who are six times more likely than their white counterparts to be incarcerated.