Dear Community Leader,
As a key leader in our community, you are
invited to participate in a community dialogue on [insert date, time,
and location] about how Latino and Latina youth are treated in the
juvenile justice system.
This dialogue is part of a national effort to
eliminate the disparate treatment of Latino and Latina youth in the
justice system. According to a new report, “¿Dónde Está La Justicia?”
released by the Building Blocks for Youth initiative, a national
project led by the Youth Law Center to promote a fair and effective
youth justice system, Latino and Latina youth are incarcerated at higher
rates, receive longer sentences and harsher treatment than white youth
even when charged with the same types of offenses. Current data means
for collecting and assessing data are inadequate, resulting in
under-counting and inaccuracies in reporting disproportionate
representation and disparate treatment of Latino and Latina youth in the
U.S justice system. The system fails to provide adequate bilingual
services to Latino and Latina youth and fails to ensure cultural
competency of staff working with Latino and Latina youth in the system.
Consideration of the immigration status of Latino and Latina youth
results in incarceration, deportation and permanent separation from
families. Anti-gang laws result in harsh and unfair consequences for
Latino and Latina youth.
The community dialogue will begin at [insert
time] with opening remarks from [insert staff contact name and title].
At [insert time], we will walk through the facility and talk with
facility staff and the youth who reside at the facility. We will wrap up
the afternoon’s activities at approximately [insert time].
Your participation is essential to this
dialogue, especially as we consider how to eliminate disparate treatment
of Latino and Latina youth in the justice system; improve services to
Latino and Latina youth; and increase our community’s involvement,
resources, and assets to support Latino and Latina youth in the juvenile
justice system.
In preparation for this event, I’ve enclosed a
copy of the report, “¿Dónde Está La Justicia?” for your
consideration. I will be in touch with you shortly to followup on any
questions that you may have and to confirm your participation. In the
meantime, I can be reached at [insert your phone number].
Thank you for your time and attention. Together,
we can end the disparate treatment of Latino and Latina youth by the
justice system in our community.
