[Applause] this is very nice so oh wow – so I’m
this is very nice so oh wow – so I’m
this is very nice so oh wow – so I’m dick Juan beaver I’m a community
dick Juan beaver I’m a community
dick Juan beaver I’m a community organizer with legal a Justice Center
organizer with legal a Justice Center
organizer with legal a Justice Center and I’m also a part of a statewide
and I’m also a part of a statewide
and I’m also a part of a statewide nonpartisan campaign called rights to
nonpartisan campaign called rights to
nonpartisan campaign called rights to youth and our goal is to reform the
youth and our goal is to reform the
youth and our goal is to reform the juvenile justice system by closing our
juvenile justice system by closing our
juvenile justice system by closing our last two remaining juvenile prisons and
last two remaining juvenile prisons and
last two remaining juvenile prisons and reinvesting that money into a continuum
reinvesting that money into a continuum
reinvesting that money into a continuum of community-based alternatives within
of community-based alternatives within
of community-based alternatives within rise we have a youth steering committee
rise we have a youth steering committee
rise we have a youth steering committee which we go by the name of the Youth
which we go by the name of the Youth
which we go by the name of the Youth Advocacy Network and we’re focused on
Advocacy Network and we’re focused on
Advocacy Network and we’re focused on essentially the same thing reforming the
essentially the same thing reforming the
essentially the same thing reforming the juvenile justice system but also
juvenile justice system but also
juvenile justice system but also dismantling the school-to-prison
dismantling the school-to-prison
dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and giving a better
pipeline and giving a better
pipeline and giving a better understanding to our community what the
understanding to our community what the
understanding to our community what the school-to-prison pipeline is and what
school-to-prison pipeline is and what
school-to-prison pipeline is and what the continuum is and get advice on what
the continuum is and get advice on what
the continuum is and get advice on what that should look like in our community
that should look like in our community
that should look like in our community what does our community really want so
what does our community really want so
what does our community really want so does anybody know like has anybody ever
does anybody know like has anybody ever
does anybody know like has anybody ever heard of the school-to-prison pipeline
heard of the school-to-prison pipeline
heard of the school-to-prison pipeline like oh that’s great that’s great but I
like oh that’s great that’s great but I
like oh that’s great that’s great but I still see a few people who have this so
still see a few people who have this so
still see a few people who have this so the school-to-prison pipeline is exactly
the school-to-prison pipeline is exactly
the school-to-prison pipeline is exactly what it sounds like it’s an invisible
what it sounds like it’s an invisible
what it sounds like it’s an invisible pipeline that railroads are students
pipeline that railroads are students
pipeline that railroads are students into law enforcement and Virginia is
into law enforcement and Virginia is
into law enforcement and Virginia is number one in all 50 states and
number one in all 50 states and
number one in all 50 states and referring students to law enforcement so
referring students to law enforcement so
referring students to law enforcement so with that being said we have two
with that being said we have two
with that being said we have two students here today they actually attend
students here today they actually attend
students here today they actually attend Richmond Public Schools and and we’re
Richmond Public Schools and and we’re
Richmond Public Schools and and we’re gonna give them an opportunity to talk
gonna give them an opportunity to talk
gonna give them an opportunity to talk about how they feel about the schools
about how they feel about the schools
about how they feel about the schools and what they think should be different
and what they think should be different
and what they think should be different so I’m pastor Doug I’m Doug I’m 16 years
so I’m pastor Doug I’m Doug I’m 16 years
so I’m pastor Doug I’m Doug I’m 16 years old I’m a part of the arm rights for
old I’m a part of the arm rights for
old I’m a part of the arm rights for youth network and I already network I’ve
youth network and I already network I’ve
youth network and I already network I’ve been going to Richmond Public Schools
been going to Richmond Public Schools
been going to Richmond Public Schools basically all my life and I’m now
basically all my life and I’m now
basically all my life and I’m now attending John Marshall High School and
attending John Marshall High School and
attending John Marshall High School and the conditions in the school are
the conditions in the school are
the conditions in the school are terrible John Marshall recently had
terrible John Marshall recently had
terrible John Marshall recently had Babel
Babel
Babel Moe and now they have boarded windows I
Moe and now they have boarded windows I
Moe and now they have boarded windows I feel like the police and staff and
feel like the police and staff and
feel like the police and staff and schools are not properly trained to
schools are not properly trained to
schools are not properly trained to handle you for example one evening I was
handle you for example one evening I was
handle you for example one evening I was I was just having a bad day I was
I was just having a bad day I was
I was just having a bad day I was sitting on the steps and the school
sitting on the steps and the school
sitting on the steps and the school principal seemed he didn’t ask any
principal seemed he didn’t ask any
principal seemed he didn’t ask any questions why was the he just told me
questions why was the he just told me
questions why was the he just told me come to his office and he suspended me I
come to his office and he suspended me I
come to his office and he suspended me I also felt like they serve the same food
also felt like they serve the same food
also felt like they serve the same food piece of fries every day but I felt like
piece of fries every day but I felt like
piece of fries every day but I felt like these issues should be addressed as soon
these issues should be addressed as soon
these issues should be addressed as soon as possible but I’m gonna let my brief
as possible but I’m gonna let my brief
as possible but I’m gonna let my brief pick up on it yes my name is Maurice I’m
pick up on it yes my name is Maurice I’m
pick up on it yes my name is Maurice I’m 16 years old I would say I went to
16 years old I would say I went to
16 years old I would say I went to Henderson middle school we have no laws
Henderson middle school we have no laws
Henderson middle school we have no laws like a student at OU Pisa
like a student at OU Pisa
like a student at OU Pisa at a student Kato object over city next
at a student Kato object over city next
at a student Kato object over city next class from a headed teacher Orca his
class from a headed teacher Orca his
class from a headed teacher Orca his student my I’m currently I’m currently
student my I’m currently I’m currently
student my I’m currently I’m currently involved in space Academy and it’s three
involved in space Academy and it’s three
involved in space Academy and it’s three floors the first was like office stuff
floors the first was like office stuff
floors the first was like office stuff the second floor is well nine through
the second floor is well nine through
the second floor is well nine through ninth grade through twelfth grade and
ninth grade through twelfth grade and
ninth grade through twelfth grade and it’s only four classes so like from 9 to
it’s only four classes so like from 9 to
it’s only four classes so like from 9 to 10 2006 were very tight in there for
10 2006 were very tight in there for
10 2006 were very tight in there for class it’s the same like that she’s the
class it’s the same like that she’s the
class it’s the same like that she’s the same thing how could we have such bad
same thing how could we have such bad
same thing how could we have such bad pork edition schools like this and we
pork edition schools like this and we
pork edition schools like this and we but we could pay for new chairs we could
but we could pay for new chairs we could
but we could pay for new chairs we could pay for new praises but can’t put the
pay for new praises but can’t put the
pay for new praises but can’t put the money into the schools and Brielle could
money into the schools and Brielle could
money into the schools and Brielle could talk to you about the school the school
talk to you about the school the school
talk to you about the school the school to Prison Pipeline
to Prison Pipeline
to Prison Pipeline hello I’m for y’all with the youth arise
hello I’m for y’all with the youth arise
hello I’m for y’all with the youth arise our mission for the school to Prison
our mission for the school to Prison
our mission for the school to Prison Pipeline is to have better funding for
Pipeline is to have better funding for
Pipeline is to have better funding for the Richmond public school systems we
the Richmond public school systems we
the Richmond public school systems we also want to reevaluate the
also want to reevaluate the
also want to reevaluate the zero-tolerance policies we have youth
zero-tolerance policies we have youth
zero-tolerance policies we have youth being suspended from school for modern
being suspended from school for modern
being suspended from school for modern things such as yelling or phone usage we
things such as yelling or phone usage we
things such as yelling or phone usage we want less officers in the school systems
want less officers in the school systems
want less officers in the school systems and more counselors to de-escalate some
and more counselors to de-escalate some
and more counselors to de-escalate some situations to get to the root of the
situations to get to the root of the
situations to get to the root of the problem
problem
problem or even security prevention plans we in
or even security prevention plans we in
or even security prevention plans we in general we just want to have the lower
general we just want to have the lower
general we just want to have the lower rates of high incarceration for our
rates of high incarceration for our
rates of high incarceration for our youth we feel like they’re being pushed
youth we feel like they’re being pushed
youth we feel like they’re being pushed into the juvenile justice system and
into the juvenile justice system and
into the juvenile justice system and Virginia were known for being number one
Virginia were known for being number one
Virginia were known for being number one for doing so for the cost for one youth
for doing so for the cost for one youth
for doing so for the cost for one youth for one year in 2015 in Virginia was one
for one year in 2015 in Virginia was one
for one year in 2015 in Virginia was one hundred and thirty five thousand dollars
hundred and thirty five thousand dollars
hundred and thirty five thousand dollars imagine if we could take some of those
imagine if we could take some of those
imagine if we could take some of those funds lower the incarceration rates and
funds lower the incarceration rates and
funds lower the incarceration rates and put it back into our community how it
put it back into our community how it
put it back into our community how it can fix a lot of problems
so what you heard today is a group of
so what you heard today is a group of young people as you see various ages
young people as you see various ages
young people as you see various ages that won’t change and they’re fighting
that won’t change and they’re fighting
that won’t change and they’re fighting for that change you’re probably
for that change you’re probably
for that change you’re probably wondering why we keep talking about
wondering why we keep talking about
wondering why we keep talking about prisons and our topic is like the school
prisons and our topic is like the school
prisons and our topic is like the school to Prison Pipeline
to Prison Pipeline
to Prison Pipeline but as Brio said Virginia is number one
but as Brio said Virginia is number one
but as Brio said Virginia is number one and referring students to law
and referring students to law
and referring students to law enforcement so that’s like our first
enforcement so that’s like our first
enforcement so that’s like our first flag our second flag is that our
flag our second flag is that our
flag our second flag is that our recidivism rate here is seventy three
recidivism rate here is seventy three
recidivism rate here is seventy three point five percent meaning that within
point five percent meaning that within
point five percent meaning that within three years of an individual’s release
three years of an individual’s release
three years of an individual’s release they will be rican reconvicted and
they will be rican reconvicted and
they will be rican reconvicted and recommitted to the state so it’s not the
recommitted to the state so it’s not the
recommitted to the state so it’s not the the reinvestment we’re getting isn’t the
the reinvestment we’re getting isn’t the
the reinvestment we’re getting isn’t the reinvestment we need and it starts in
reinvestment we need and it starts in
reinvestment we need and it starts in the schools we also feel that having a
the schools we also feel that having a
the schools we also feel that having a network of impacted individuals
network of impacted individuals
network of impacted individuals you’ve been impacted by the school to
you’ve been impacted by the school to
you’ve been impacted by the school to Prison Pipeline you’ve been impacted by
Prison Pipeline you’ve been impacted by
Prison Pipeline you’ve been impacted by the juvenile justice system you are the
the juvenile justice system you are the
the juvenile justice system you are the best advocates to tell your story
best advocates to tell your story
best advocates to tell your story because the powerful story we feel plays
because the powerful story we feel plays
because the powerful story we feel plays a big part and I think lastly I want
a big part and I think lastly I want
a big part and I think lastly I want everyone to know that we need you all
everyone to know that we need you all
everyone to know that we need you all help this problem needs to be brought up
help this problem needs to be brought up
help this problem needs to be brought up in our communities we want everyone to
in our communities we want everyone to
in our communities we want everyone to know that prisons don’t work and the
know that prisons don’t work and the
know that prisons don’t work and the school to Prison Pipeline needs to be
school to Prison Pipeline needs to be
school to Prison Pipeline needs to be dismantled
dismantled
dismantled we need youth we need adults we need
we need youth we need adults we need
we need youth we need adults we need teachers we need principals art when a
teachers we need principals art when a
teachers we need principals art when a team perform statistics are the example
team perform statistics are the example
team perform statistics are the example of something that’s never happened
of something that’s never happened
of something that’s never happened before
before
before lawyers and advocates and artists all
lawyers and advocates and artists all
lawyers and advocates and artists all working toward the same goal and that’s
working toward the same goal and that’s
working toward the same goal and that’s a like sister organization so shout out
a like sister organization so shout out
a like sister organization so shout out the performances sistex I know y’all are
the performances sistex I know y’all are
the performances sistex I know y’all are there somewhere
there somewhere
there somewhere [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] but we the youth network we’re here to
but we the youth network we’re here to
but we the youth network we’re here to say that prisons don’t work and we want
say that prisons don’t work and we want
say that prisons don’t work and we want your help to break this broken system
your help to break this broken system
your help to break this broken system that I’ll fix this broken system that we
that I’ll fix this broken system that we
that I’ll fix this broken system that we have so thank you
have so thank you
have so thank you [Applause]
”
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