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They’re Just Kids: Why Are We Criminalizing Them?

The criminalization of mental health conditions has devastating consequences—especially for Black and Brown children and youth in foster care. They often end up pushed into institutions and through the school-to-prison and foster care-to-prison pipelines.

On June 22, 2022, we brought together advocates, people with lived experience, and thought leaders for a discussion exploring the institutionalization and criminalization of children with mental health conditions—and solutions to help close these pipelines and end the criminalization of young people. 

Watch our panel discussion to learn more

Moderated by Abigail Kramer, Reporter, THE CITY and ProPublica
Marco Barrios, Criminal Justice Advocate
Carly Baetz, JD, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor at NYU Langone, Dept of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Sandy Santana, Executive Director, Children’s Rights

The Facts

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Stop Criminalizing Children, Invest In Their Healing

Call on policymakers to close prison pipelines
and fund community services.