“S.58 is really designing a system for the workforce rather than designing a system for those we’re serving, and I think it’s really important to name that.” -Lauren Higbee, Deputy Child, Youth, and Family Advocate, in a recent interview

Yesterday, Vermont took a step in the wrong direction. With the passage of S.58, legislators all but ensured the rate of children being jailed in our state will increase. This "tough-on-youth-crime" approach comes amidst a larger effort to frame youth behavior in Vermont as a threat, rather than a signal. It belies the facts as we know them, including that incarcerating youth has been shown to increase rates of recidivism, as legislators named on the house floor this week. Allowing issues of resource scarcity or staffing to drive policy decisions about whether to try children as adults reinforces a dangerous precedent. By choosing to further criminalize Vermont’s children and youth instead of addressing the underlying systemic issues at the heart of the matter, our state will continue to perpetuate the very conditions of harm that lead to increased crime.

Carceral solutions have real implications for children and families. The United States imprisons more individuals than any other country in the world. Here in Vermont, we jail black people at a rate that is 8.7 times higher than that of their white counterparts. Research further shows that children who experience juvenile incarceration or whose parents are incarcerated are at higher risk for many challenges throughout the course of their lives. But rather than move to repudiate these circumstances and address the underlying racial and economic injustices at their core, the decision to pass S.58 reinforces them. The result will do little to ensure public safety and more to ensure our prisons remain overflowing.

Another path is possible. Yesterday, prior to the passage of S.58, Voices stood with advocates and lawmakers to celebrate the advancement of harm reduction legislation. Now we are encouraging Vermonters to join us in calling upon Governor Scott to veto this harmful bill. Collectively, we can turn away from reactionary measures and toward the creation of healthy opportunities, effective interventions, and foundational supports that will truly help our children and communities thrive.