NEWSBYLIZ RYAN

The following is a guest post by Liz Ryan, President and CEO of the Campaign for Youth Justice.

Five years ago this week, 17-year-old David Burgos took his life at Manson Youth Institute, one of Connecticut’s adult prisons for younger offenders. David had been detained on a simple probation violation.

The Connecticut General Assembly immediately responded with legislation to end the practice of automatically prosecuting all 16- and 17-year-olds in adult criminal court and to ban the placement of most of these youth in adult facilities.

In 2006, David Burgos’ mother, Diana Gonzalez, testified before the Connecticut about the danger of treating youth like adults. As she stated, “I know first-hand the consequences…Whose child is next? It could be my neighbor’s child, it could be your neighbor’s child, it could be your child. Put yourselves in these shoes. What decision would you make for your child? How would you want your child treated?”

Other states have initiated similar reforms like Connecticut's. Just this year, a new law went into effect in Illinois that prevents 17-year-olds from getting automatically prosecuted in adult criminal court. It also removes such youth from detention in adult jails. Mississippi passed similar legislation this session that will take effect in January. And last week, a new law went into effect in Virginia that ends the placement of pre-trial youth in adult jails.