As schools across the country close their doors to support social distancing and reduce the spread of COVID-19, another set of doors remain locked and closed for some of our nation’s most vulnerable youth—those in our youth prisons. As we attempt to contain the coronavirus spread, the safety and care of youth in locked custody should be of particular concern. In China and Iran, catastrophic COVID-19 outbreaks occurred in prisons. We must take decisive action to protect young people in those settings in the US.
As Youth Correctional Leaders for Justice Steering Committee members Marc Schindler and Vincent Schiraldi recently wrote: While most young people are at lower risk from the virus, youth in the justice system are less healthy than their peers. They have more gaps in Medicaid enrollment and higher rates of asthma, which increases the severity of COVID-19. Locking youth up exacerbates mental illness, dramatically increases the risk of self-harm and is associated with risks lasting into adulthood, including poorer overall general health and increased incidence of suicide.
On any given day, about 43,580 youth are incarcerated in facilities across the country, many of which have between 50-200 beds and some of which were constructed over a century ago. In many cases, these facilities are far removed from youths’ homes and communities, creating a great deal of fear and uncertainty for families and loved ones, particularly in this time of national crisis.
During a time of immense uncertainty, the undersigned current and former leaders of youth correctional agencies across the country collectively offer the following recommendations, guidance, and resources for youth justice leaders navigating critical decisions for the safety and health of youth and families in their care amidst the COVID-19 crisis.
 Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Trends and characteristics of youth in residential placement, 2017. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau
 Youth First Initiative. The Facts Report: The Geography of America’s Dysfunctional and Racially Disparate Youth Incarceration Complex. See https://www.nokidsinprison.org/the-facts
Anne Marie Ambrose, Former Commissioner, Department of Human Services for the City of Philadelphia; Former Bureau Director of Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Services for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Phyllis Becker, Former Director, Missouri Division of Youth Services
Susan Burke, Former Director, Utah Division of Juvenile Justice Services
Joyce Burrell, Former Director, New York Division of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth
Gladys Carrión, Former Commissioner, New York City Administration for Children’s Services; Former Commissioner, New York State Office of Children and Family Services
Carey Cockerell, Former Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice; Former Commissioner Texas Department of Family and Protective Services; Former Director, Juvenile Services, Tarrant County, TX
Tim Decker, Former Director of the Missouri Division of Youth Services and the Missouri Children's Division
Earl Dunlap, Former CEO National Partnership for Juvenile Services and National Juvenile Detention Association; Former Transitional Administrator appointed by US Federal Court for the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center
Peter Edelman, Former Director of the New York State Division for Youth
Henry Gonzales, Executive Director, Harris County Juvenile Probation
Mike Griffiths, Former Executive Director, Texas Juvenile Justice Department
Deborah Hodges, Former Director of the Lucas County Juvenile Court, Toledo, Ohio
Candice Jones, President & CEO, Public Welfare Foundation; Former Director, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
Joe Leavey, Acting Director of Probation and Court Services, Juvenile Probation Department, Cook County, IL
Scott MacDonald, Former Chief Probation Officer, Santa Cruz, CA
Mark Masterson, Former Director, Sedgwick County Department of Corrections
Patrick McCarthy, Former Division Director, Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families
Mark Mertens, Administrator, Division of Youth and Family Services, Milwaukee County
David Muhammad, Former Chief Probation Officer, Alameda County, CA
Charles Parkins, Former Director, Colorado Division of Youth Corrections
Michael Rohan, Former Chief of the Cook County Juvenile Probation Department
Dr. Robert K. Ross, Former Director, Health & Human Services, San Diego County, CA
Ellen Schall, Former Commissioner of the NYC Department of Juvenile Justice
Marc Schindler, Former Interim Director, Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, Washington, D.C.
Vincent Schiraldi, Former Director, Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, Washington, D.C.; Former Commissioner, New York City Department of Probation
Ira Schwartz, Former Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Mark Steward, Former Director, Missouri Division of Youth Services
Scott Taylor, Former Director Multnomah County Department of Community Justice
Jane E. Tewksbury, Former Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Youth Services
Cherie Townsend, Former Executive Director, Texas Juvenile Justice Department
Russell Van Vleet, Former founder and executive director of The Utah Criminal Justice Center; Former Director of the Utah Division of Youth Corrections