Family, friends, and supporters of Juvenile inmates gathered in front of the Horizon Detention Center on the afternoon of June 21, to protest the expansion of detention Centers throughout the City of New York. Protesters primary concern involved a commitment made by the NYC to close Spofford--a building that was condemned by the City council as unsafe and unsuitable for accommodating young people. The action was a response to the growing number of complaints by x-inmates, parents and advocates that youth in Juvenile Detention Centers are suffering physical and sexual abuse. When the NYC Department of Justice reopened three wings of Spofford at a cost to the city of $8 million in renovations, citizens became concerned and contemplated a solution.

Organizations such as the Peoples Justice were live and direct at the seen of protest, encouraging vehicles that passed the Detention Center to honk their horns in response to signs that outlawed police brutality. People's Justice 2000 is a coalition of youth and student groups, who believe that they play a leading role in establishing a movement against police brutality, prison expansion and the criminalization of young people of color.

Lisa Figueroa is a member of the coalition against police brutality and explained that the protesting was held at Horizon Detention Center instead if Spofford, because Horizon is located in the heart of the community. "Clearly, Horizon is a beautiful facility compared to the high schools that surround it, which have a terrible appearance. I believe that the mayor is sending a message to the minority youth that Horizon is their final destination," said Figueroa.

The New York City Public Policy statistics reveal that Juvenile crime is down 30% since 1994, complimenting the 24% drop in arrest for violent Juvenile crime. Despite the noticeable decline in Juvenile crime, NYC spends 10 times more to lock a young person up then it does for a student's education. In 1999, NYC spent as much as $103,000 to keep a single young person in secure detention, and $55,000-$85,000 to keep one of us incarcerated. Meanwhile, the City spends $9,215 per student in public schools. According to Judge C.V. Richardson, the supervising Judge for Bronx Family Court, 80% of the youth currently detained in New York City would be better served by a community-based alternative, but adequate spaces in alternative programs don't exist.

The fact of the matter is alternatives are necessary because once these kids are convicted in court and entered into the prison system, their lives may become too scared to recover. In a world moving at the pace of technology, Juveniles that are released as adults from such a facility may never receive the chance to pursue their dreams. On the other hand, if alternatives are provided such as the Juvenile Intensive Supervision Program, Juveniles will have the opportunity to live productive adult lives in their communities following rehabilitation.