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Statement

Moms Leader Condemns Maine Governor’s Decision to Keep Youth Prison Open, Demands State and Federal Lawmakers Invest in Children, Not Prisons

June 25, 2021
School-to-Prison Pipeline

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement from Beatriz Beckford, National Director for Youth and Family Justice at MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on Maine Governor Janet Mills’ veto of legislation to close Long Creek Youth Development Center:

“Maine Governor Janet Mills chose prisons for kids instead of hearing the voices of Maine’s youth calling for change. We are appalled that Governor Mills callously vetoed a bill to close Long Creek Youth Development Center, a youth prison. The Maine Legislature’s passage of this bill was a major victory for Maine's children and families, and Mills’ decision to keep funding the incarceration of children -- a cruel, expensive, racist and ineffective practice -- rather than investing those funds in community-based alternatives that promote healing and build real safety is a deep and profound disappointment. Long Creek disproportionately incarcerates youth of color, and this veto is a major step backward for racial justice as well as public safety in Maine. 

“This fight is not over, and we will continue to demand that states and our federal government divest from prisons and instead invest in children and families. America’s moms want policymakers to build the continuum of community-based alternatives and resources our children, families and communities need and deserve.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.