In a July 25, 2014, editorial, “Equal Treatment is in Order for Iowa's Troubled Juveniles," The Des-Moines Register argues that girls are now worse off than boys because the Toledo juvenile home has been closed. The editorial says that “delinquent girls should have the same opportunities for treatment, rehabilitation and education as boys,” concluding that girls and boys should be “treated equally by Iowa's juvenile justice system.”
Girls had previously been at the Toledo juvenile home under harsh and inhumane conditions. Governor Branstad closed the facility because of reports that girls were being placed in isolation for months at a time and were not receiving adequate education. With Toledo closed, the juvenile justice system has responded with harsher sanctions for girls. Girls appear to be much worse off than boys in Iowa's juvenile justice system as a result: Three girls have subsequently been sent to the adult criminal justice system and three to facilities out-of-state.
[For more of this story, written by Liz Ryan, go to http://jjie.org/op-ed-yes-to-equal-treatment-no-to-equally-bad-treatment/107335/]
Comments (0)