Not much goes on in Wampum, Pennsylvania. Located about 50 miles outside of Pittsburgh, the Lawrence County borough is home to less than 1,000 people, over 17% of which live below poverty level. In 2009, 11 year old resident Jordan Brown (pictured here, in a photo provided by Lawrence County Prison) was described as a normal “all-American boy”. He enjoyed local leisure activities such as football, riding bikes, reading Harry Potter books and hunting. A year later, Jordan, now 12, faces grown up charges with a possibility of life in prison without parole.

On February 20, 2009, 26-year-old Kenzie Houk was found lifeless in bed with a bullet from a 20-gauge shotgun through her head. She was eight months pregnant with a baby boy and a mother to two girls. Her boyfriend’s son, 11-year-old Jordan, was identified as the murder suspect and faces two counts of homicide, one including the unborn child.

Because the state of Pennsylvania offers no reprieve in convictions due to age, it’s no surprise that it has the highest total number of juvenile lifers. This means that Jordan could very well spend the rest of his life behind bars for a crime committed when he was a child. According to the University of Pittsburgh, if kept in criminal court and convicted, Jordan will be the youngest person in the world serving a life sentence.

While Jordan’s defense attorney requested a decertification hearing to determine whether or not he will be tried as an adult or in juvenile court, it could be months before a decision is made. In the meantime, friends and family have started a trust fund in his name for his defense. Jordan’s attorney claims that the boy is open and readily able to comply with juvenile rehabilitation, and that it should be offered as an alternative to an adult sentence.

When the Supreme Court decided in 2005 that the barbaric practice of sentencing minors to death was cruel and unusual punishment, it was one step in a promising direction. However, life sentences need to be reexamined as well. According to studies reported on MSNBC, at least 2,381 people are serving life without parole in U.S. prisons for crimes when they were 17 or younger.

One aspect of this case does not fit the common racial component; Jordan being Caucasian while the majority of juvenile lifers are minorities. However, the bottom line is juvenile justice sees no race or economic status. When you peel back the layers and think logically about what’s happening in our society, the answers are multi-dimensional.

Particularly in the case of Jordan Brown, 11-years-old is a confusing, uncertain and impressionable age. There are too few studies that exist that prove that sentencing children to life in prison without a chance of parole is a better means of punishment over rehabilitation and counseling. In fact, Connie de la Vegas, a law professor at University of San Francisco School of Law insists that for juveniles, life in prison without a chance of parole is exactly the wrong thing to do, and that juvenile offenders should be given a chance to rehabilitate themselves and apply for parole, even if it’s after 10 or 15 years.

Are we going give up and let another one of our children become a statistic? Or are we going to challenge the system, demand better treatment, accountability and commitment of rehabilitation for our children?

Check out this episode of DC ME from Milwaukee. DJ interviews people whose lives have been affected by violence in the city.

Who says we can only farm in rural areas? Despite the obvious challenges of urban farming, community gardens are popping up in parks, vacant lots, and even on rooftops across the nation.

And with good reason. While it may be difficult to find space, fertile soil, and even people interested in the cause, the benefits are endless. Researchers have found that urban farming can foster good health and community involvement, while being easier on the wallet. In fact, every $1 invested in community garden results in $6 of vegetables.

Yet saving money is just the beginning. Urban farming increases the sustainability of our cities, promotes concern for the environment, and fosters community involvement. Considering that most urbanites hardly even know their next-door neighbors, we certainly can’t expect to always know who produces our food. Urban farming, however, can alleviate both problems simultaneously.

In addition to the social and environmental benefits, growing our own food has positive effects on our health. And I don’t just mean physical health. Research has also shown that horticulture can lead to better mental health. Working with plants has even been proven to reduce stress, blood pressure, and muscle tension.

Urban Peak, a non-profit organization, is using such benefits to help the homeless youth of Denver. The organization provides young adults with food, shelter, and now, the advantages of urban gardening. “I think there’s a sense of accomplishment in the garden…This will be a sense of accomplishment that they can translate into other areas of their life like school or looking for a job,” states Anne Harris, member of Urban Peak. Though the long term benefits have yet to be determined, one thing is clear…Such feelings of accomplishment and involvement cannot be obtained at a McDonald’s or Burger King.

Don’t get me wrong; of course it’s nice to have access to fast food and delivery at any hour of the night. However, who’s to say that our favorite cities can’t offer both convenience and sustainability? There may be a certain satisfaction in consuming that pizza slice at 4am. Yet, maybe it’s time to experience the pride that comes along with consuming something we’ve cultivated ourselves.

If you’re not a millionaire or living with family, chances are you’re currently sharing a dorm or an apartment with roommates. Bets are you chose them (or they were selected for you) based on living compatibility: likes, dislikes, level of cleanliness, habits etc. But have you ever really analyzed them based on race?

New studies by several universities have, with several surprising results. Living with a roommate of a different race will decrease your prejudice levels. If you’re a white student (who statistically enters college with the least diverse friendship group), you’ll become the most likely to develop cross-racial relationships, whereas the opposite occurs with black students (they enter with diverse friendship then experience a decline as they seek out people from a similar background). Hispanic and Asian students maintain the same levels as they had before entering freshman year.

On the other hand, cross-racial relationships are more stressful than homogenous ones—they spent less time together and shared fewer friends. However, if they managed to tough it out for 10 weeks, they would both experience an “improvement in racial attitudes.”

Which is all very interesting. Come to think of it, I suppose I had a cross-racial roommate experience in freshman year, as I lived with a girl who had an Indian heritage. Honestly though, I never thought of our cohabitation in racial terms. I don’t remember her as “that-Indian-girl-who-improved-my-racial-attitude,” but rather as an annihilator of fire alarms, a lover of jumping on streetside couches, and an all-around amazing person to be around. In other words, I see her as a friend, not as a member of any particular race. And isn’t that the way the world should be?

Education as we know it is changing. Remember sitting in class and having your teacher yell at you for listening to music? No longer! If Run-DMC has their way, teachers will not only be encouraging music in the classroom but will be bringing in rap and hip hop of their own.

Darryl McDaniels, a member of the pioneering rap group Run-DMC, was invited by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to attend a conference at the Summer Teacher Institute last week. While there, he spoke to teachers that had gathered from across the country about the importance of using rap as a way in which teachers could better connect with their students, saying that rap made school more interesting, relevant, and personal for students. All I can say is, why wasn’t Run-DMC saying this to my teachers when I was in school?

But seriously, he’s got a point. While he admitted that rap can be “raw,” he also pointed out that it is a form of social commentary and as such has the potential to become an educational tool and a medium of expression for kids who might not have another outlet. In his own words, “real hip-hop is information, education, communication and motivation, whether you’re rich, poor, black, white, Puerto Rican. Hip-hop is the total expression of the existence of what it’s like to be alive on the face of the earth.”

So look out students. This September, it could be your teacher that busts into the classroom with a few Run-DMC lyrics of their own:

One thing I know is that life is short

So listen up homeboy, give this a thought

The next time someone’s teaching why don’t you get taught?

( From Run-DMC:  “It’s Like That”)

It was a warm spring evening on Milwaukee’s north side and four-year-old Jasmine Owens was playing double dutch outside her family’s home. As she enjoyed the simple pleasures of childhood, a stray bullet struck her in the head. She died on the scene. Days later, Carey Jenkins would stand over Jasmine’s casket, looking at the four-year-old in her pink dress and listening to the cries echoing in the church for the violence to end.

“I prayed to God that day that I would never be there to help bury another kid, but last year alone there were 71 murders in our small city of Milwaukee,” says Jenkins, a 33-year-old Milwaukee native who has launched a campaign to bring urban violence to the nation’s attention. The sky-high homicide rate in Milwaukee is not unlike many other American cities….

Continue reading at Huffington Post!

That’s America, alright, and the numbers come from an article on prison reform written by Mark Lange in the Christian Science Monitor. As yall know, we’re big supporters of the Youth PROMISE Act over here at 99p.  The statistics from the American Prison system are horrendous; recidivism is practically guaranteed for many people who serve time, because they leave these “crime schools” with complicated paroles and no preparation in life after jail.  As Mr. Lange writes:

Mass imprisonment of nonviolent offenders amounts to justice by lock-down – and lets government off the hook for results. The only stakeholders this system serves are elected officials, including judges, who are rewarded for posing as “tough” on crime without solving it – and the lobbyists and interests paid to build and run prisons.

It’s hard to see justice in our country as a big business, but there are clearly many companies with stakes in the maintenance and expansion of our prison system.  But where does that leave the populace?  Especially in these tough economic times, resources are scarce.  More money for prisons means less money for rehabilitation.  But how can we decide the course of action: harsher sentencing and more police, or community education and maturity through mentoring?

Lange says it best: “The answer depends on what you think American society should more closely resemble: a school, or a prison.“

The recession has had drastic effects on families nationwide. Personally, I know it is having a drastic effect in my household, and I have not seen anyone profiting from this economic downturn. So, every now and then, it is fantastic to see something good happening as a result of such a terrible economic climate. A rose that grows from concrete, if you will.

It would seem that as a result of the economic downturn, the current prison strategy is essentially ‘too much’ to handle in the current economic climate and states are starting to pursue prison reform as an viable option, as well as methods seen in the Youth Promise Act.

Check out some of these statistics:

• In Wisconsin, “by 2019 the number of prisoners is expected to have swollen by another 25%, with a price tag of $2.5 billion.”
• Michigan “spent a staggering 22% of its general fund on corrections last year.”
• “Three judges in California have instructed that state to cut its prison population by one-third by 2012.”
• “The Pew Centre on the States, a research outfit, reports that one in 100 Americans is incarcerated. One in 31 is in prison, on parole or on probation. “

Many states, other than the ones listed above, are considering reforms due to the dire economic climate. It just goes to show ya: money talks, and when it does, people listen.

We have to expect our government to take on the real problems in our neighborhoods. We’re not used to counting on them for change, but we should be able work with them and make something important happen.

There are over 80 cosponsors of the Youth PROMISE Act right now; we’re trying to get up to 150, but that’ll take all of us working together, contacting our representatives and telling them personally that we want their support for this pivotal piece of legislation.

Go to 99problems.org/youth-promise to send a message to your representative. It only takes a few minutes but will mean a world of change.

In D.C. for the Youth PROMISE Day of Action, I was invited to watch the documentary “Crips and Bloods: Made in America”, (directed by Stacy Peralta and produced by actor Cash Warren and NBA superstar Baron Davis) at a special screening hosted by Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) on Capitol Hill. The screening was held to kickoff a series of events in support of the Youth Promise Act national day of actio.

As I watched the film, I couldn’t help but think about my favorite line from the seminal 70s gang movie, The Warriors. It was the unforgettable line Cyrus delivered during his legendary speech: “Miracles are the way things ought to be.”

The film, while capturing the essence of street gang life in LA, highlighted the humanity of these young people and opened up the possibility of a better tomorrow. As Baron Davis said tonight, “My homies were my inspiration for this film”, and it is in that spirit that we as the League of Young Voters Education Fund support initiatives such as the Youth Promise Act and films such as Crips and Bloods: Made In America.

Last night’s event reminded me that miracles are the way things ought to be. Young people with opportunities are the way things ought to be. A pipeline from the cradle to college and jobs, instead of jails, is the way things ought to be. Young people who’ve made mistakes getting legitimate second chances is the way things ought to be. We can save the next generation of young Americans from rampant poverty, crime and violence if we provide healthy alternatives to the lure of the street.

Today, representatives of organizations and concerned citizens from all over the country will be asking their congressional representatives to co-sponsor the Youth Promise Act. We have an online action where you can email your congressperson, send letters to the editor of your local newspaper and organize a house party screening of the documentary. In the coming days, we will continue to engage elected officials, policy makers and many everyday citizens to educate them about the importance of addressing this issue. Today is only the beginning of a larger effort; we hope you will join the struggle and help us make miracles the way things are.

-Khari Mosley

We’re serious about this. The Youth PROMISE Act is the biggest step we can take right now to keep the kids of America out of prison.

Please get involved; speak up for all the youth who’ve been given the right to remain silent.

Stand up for the leaders of tomorrow.

Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper to start the discussion in your community.

Write your Congressional Representative to let them know you support the Youth PROMISE Act!