While my primary focus is to support marginalized young people, I also try to make time to work with more privileged youth too. Given that my time is limited, some may wonder why bother. I truly believe that we live in an interdependent world. Our collective liberation is inextricably bound together. So, when young people who are more privileged approach me with an interest in supporting my work, I try to be as responsive as time allows. These are the young people whose parents are the judges, lawyers, bankers, and power brokers in the world. These young people will reproduce their class status and I believe that engaging them provides some hope for future social transformation.

This year, I have had a great group of five high school students from a local private school in Chicago as interns with my organization. The young women have attended several workshops about juvenile justice and prison issues, they have organized a collection drive in support of incarcerated girls at Warrenville prison, they have co-organized and facilitated a workshop about the racist drug war and the PIC, they have tabled at local events, they have curated and organized an art show about the intersections between mass detention and the PIC and finally two of them have produced a new documentary titled “No Place for Kids” about juvenile incarceration. It has been a busy but very productive year for them. It is my sincere hope that they feel that they have learned and grown during the past few months. I also hope that as each young woman moves on to college, she will remain engaged and involved in the movement to dismantle the prison industrial complex. I believe that they will.

If you are in Chicago today (June 6), please join Nina and Keely as they premiere their documentary about juvenile incarceration “No Place for Kids” at 5 p.m. The film features formerly incarcerated youth, Michelle Alexander, Bernardine Dohrn, Judge Colleen Sheehan, Juan Rivera, and many others. All of the details including location, etc… can be found HERE.