Cheltenham, an infamous Baltimore prison, is overcrowded, sometimes with as many as 250 boys in a space designed for 167, according to the Baltimore Sun. The facility recently gained public attention when it failed to pass its fire inspection. In 1999, seven workers were fired for assaulting juveniles. However, a prison is no place to house children. Though nearly all of the juveniles in the facilities are guilty of some sort of crime, juvenile offenders commit only 13 percent of all violent crimes.
Children deserve humane treatment and proper living conditions.
Often, their delinquency is caused by a violent or painful family situation or hostile environment that inevitably influences their behaviors. The juvenile justice system owes them at least one true opportunity at rehabilitation.