Youth with incarcerated parents get a chance to share their voice

One in 28 youth in the United States have an incarcerated parent. Southeast Michigan's youth deal with this issue without a space to talk about their experiences or a chance to help influence policies that play a daily role in their lives-until now. Harriet Tubman Center and its YOUTH VOICE project are working to bring Project WHAT! (We're Here And Talking) to youth in Detroit and Flint. Project WHAT! uses the Children of Incarcerated Parents Bill of Rights and other platforms to advocate for criminal justice reform. The program encourages youth to write and speak about their experiences with the criminal justice and prison systems, builds skills as facilitators and advocates, and provides youth with paid positions. "Entire families are impacted when a parent goes to jail or prison, and yet children and teens who deal every day with having a parent in prison haven't been part of the conversation about how to fix our criminal justice system. Project WHAT! will change that by building the capacity of youth to become leaders in the movement for criminal justice reform," said Amanda Alexander, a Soros Justice Fellow who runs the Prison & Family Justice Project at University of Michigan Law School. "Who better to teach us about the impact of mass incarcerationand point the way forward-than the young people affected? Project WHAT! is an excellent model for youth-led policy change, peer support and empowered young people impacting their world." "As an infant I lost my mother to the criminal justice system. Growing up was difficult dealing with the vacuum of a missing parent. I believe Project WHAT! is an excellent initiative and platform for youth to voice their experience. There is power in controlling one's own narrative," said Jassmine Parks, a recent graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn. "The best part of the organization is that the youth will be able to network with other peers who have similar experiences, reminding them that they are not alone in their journey." "Most youth in Detroit know someone with an incarcerated parent," said Terel Harris, YOUTH VOICE Intern. "And now we have the opportunity to really influence policy. Youth shouldn't have to worry if their parent gets incarcerated. 'Will I be able to touch them, see them?' Most adults, and even some youth, don't even know it is a problem-we're changing that." Harriet Tubman Center is launching a crowdfunding campaign to help make the work possible in SE Michigan. The campaign to fund the program runs through August 22, 2014. So far $2,810 of the $10,000 goal has been raised. For additional information, visit http://tubmanorganizing.org/what/. Published: Wed, Jul 30, 2014

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