June 19, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kayla Keller, 281.682.6212, kayla@fitzgibbonmedia.com

New York, NY — “ColorOfChange recognizes the reforms Governor Scott announced yesterday to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice as a positive step forward and a response to growing concerns around the FDJJ’s practices. The new law prioritizes prevention over detention and stands to decrease the number of kids unnecessarily and unjustly incarcerated. Despite these changes, there remains much work to be done towards creating a truly effective and humane youth justice system.

“Secretary Walters and incoming Secretary Daly have a unique opportunity to build on these reforms by ending abusive for-profit youth prisons. Corrupt private prison corporations have taken over the FDJJ and Florida’s communities have had enough. Thousands of Florida ColorOfChange members have raised their voices to end private youth prisons in the state.

“We urge the FDJJ to take immediate action and reject $180 million worth of private prison contracts set to expire on June 30th. Instead of giving private companies license to profit from youth locked in highly abusive and exploitative conditions, the FDJJ must invest in community-based programs that dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline, reduce recidivism rates, and save Florida’s tax dollars.”

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