Young activists recently protested the measure outside of Wilson's Los Angeles home. I just believe that he's looking for ways to incarcerate more youth and to devastate more communities of color. At the heart of the debate over Prop. 21 are sharp differences in outlook over how to treat juvenile offenders. There are also different perceptions about the extent and severity of youth crime. While adult crime has been falling dramatically, the same cannot be said for youth violence and gang violence.
Proponents argue stern measures are necessary to combat rising youth crime.
Alarming news reports describing teens as time bombs and super predators have heightened fears of youth violence run amok. In fact, the public has distorted impressions of juvenile crime, says Barry Krisberg, president of the nonprofit National Council on Crime and Delinquency. Krisberg says fears of teen violence come at a time of declining youth crime nationwide. In California, youth arrest rates for murder are down more than 50 percent since 1993. Riverside County District Attorney Grover Trask heads the California DA's Association, a main backer of the initiative.