Ending Youth Prisons: Why It Matters for LGBTQ Youth of Color Facilitator: Judy Yu, Wellspring Advisors Presenters: Mishi Faruqee, Youth First Initiative Blaine Manuel Leal, Seattle LGBTQ Commission Aisha Canfield, Impact Justice

Which is different from … Terminology SOGIE: Sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression. Sexual orientation is about who you are emotionally, sexually, or romantically attracted to, whether you are lesbian, gay, bisexual, straight, asexual, or something else. Which is different from …

Terminology Gender identity refers to a person’s internal understanding of their own gender. Man, woman, both, neither, and more Transgender/Cisgender And…

Terminology Gender expression is about how a person expresses their gender identity(ies) through their manner of dress, speech, behavior, and/or other physical expressions. Feminine, masculine, androgynous, and additional terms Gender nonconforming/gender conforming Note: Gender expression is not an indicator of sexual orientation.

LGBTQ Youth in the Juvenile Justice System Quiz

Question 1 Youth incarceration dropped by what percent between 2002 and 2012? 21% 31% 41?

Answer 1 C. 41%

Question 2 The number and proportion of all incarcerated youth (across race and gender) fell during the same period. True False

Answer 2 False. The proportion of youth of color rose. 2002: 66% of youth receiving formal probation, out of home placement and detention were of color. 2012: 81%, with the majority being black youth.

Question 3 What percentage of youth in the justice system nationally are lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, gender nonconforming, and/or transgender (LGBQ/GNCT)? 10% 20% 30%

Answer 3 B. 20%. 13% of boys identify as GBQ/GNCT 40% of girls identify as LBQ/GNCT

Question 4 What percentage of LGBQ/GNCT youth in the juvenile justice system are of color? 45% 65% 85%

Answer 4 C. 85%

Question 5 Washington state's youth prisons are completely gender responsive to the young people whom they serve. True False

Answer 5 True and false, but more false than true. While one of three youth prisons here is gender responsive, the other two are male-only and therefore are not. Also, youth must select gender-specific housing at all three prisons, which may be uncomfortable for non-binary residents.

Question 6 In the majority of states, youth are placed in facilities based on their gender identity and expression rather than their birth sex? True False

Answer 6 True and false. Some states are doing this but they are the minority.

Question 7 What percentage of homeless youth are LGBT? A. 15% B. 25% C. 40%

Answer 7 C. 40%.

Question 8 LGBQ youth in the juvenile justice system are how many times more likely than straight youth to have been removed from their home by a social worker? A. 1.5 times more likely B. 3 times more likely C. 5 times more likely?

Answer 8 B. 3 times more likely. 11% of straight youth in the juvenile justice system have been removed from their homes compared to 30% of LGBQ youth.

Question 9 The LGBT criminalization area most funded for 2014-2015 was direct service. True False

Answer 9 False. Advocacy was most funded.

Question 10 In a January 2017 poll, the percentage of Americans who said that they support prevention and treatment programs for adjudicated youth instead of incarceration and punishment was? 36% 78% 95%

Answer 10 B. 78%

Youth Incarceration Group Discussion

Topic 1: Justifying youth incarceration Agree or Disagree: The only reason for placing a young person in a secure facility should be if they cause serious harm, i.e., murder or rape.

Funding Strategies Group discussion

Topic 2: Effective Responses to Youth Incarceration To be effective at supporting efforts to end the criminalization and incarceration of LGBT people, funders should: Invest in the development of leadership of those most impacted. Fund community-based direct services and alternatives to incarceration. Fund efforts to reduce discrimination and mistreatment of LGBTQ youth in prisons through policy reforms. Fund groups working on divestment from the justice system and reinvestment in community-based supports.

Alternatives to Prisons Group discussion

Topic 3: Successfully decarcerating LGBQ/GNCT youth What programs/strategies are you seeing in the field that are successfully decarcerating young people?