Next Inclusive Reading Club focuses on racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system
The next Inclusive Reading Club, which will be focused on the topic of racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system, will be held on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m. through Zoom. All staff, faculty and students are invited to attend. Register here to attend the IRC through the library’s scheduling system.
The mission of the IRC is to engage members of the Salve Regina community in exploring issues of diversity and multiculturism through short readings and discussions. By coming together every month in a safe and inclusive environment, participants are challenged to develop a greater understanding and appreciation of differing identities, cultures and communities.
Young people of color comprise 38% of the youth population, but 72% of incarcerated juveniles. So just why are black youths five times more likely to be incarcerated than their white peers, while Hispanic youths are twice as likely? And how did a young black man, age 16 and accused of stealing a backpack, end up in Rikers Prison for three years without being tried or convicted of a crime?
Through the readings for the IRC, participants will learn that delinquent children need positive relationships with caring adults to succeed in rehabilitation programs. They’ll also explore the story of Kalief Browder and how his experience became symbolic of the breakdown of the criminal justice system in New York City and the reforms of the juvenile justice system that followed.
The excerpts for the IRC will be from “Burning Down the House: The End of Juvenile Prison” by Nell Bernstein and two articles that detail Kalief Browder’s experience in Rikers Prison, his subsequent suicide and the reforms to solitary confinement guidelines for juveniles. The readings are posted on the library’s website under Course Reserves, and find much more information about the IRC on the padlet.
The readings are posted here to get started for October, and visit the library’s calendar of events to register for the IRC meeting through the library’s scheduling system. Please reach out to either Gretchen Sotomayer (gretchen.sotomayor@salve.edu) or Rose Albert (rose.albert@salve.edu) for more information.
Featured images from Getty Images/Niran_pr
