Equity Corner: Maine Youth Justice’s Fight To Close Long Creek
For today’s equity corner, we’re highlighting Maine Youth Justice. Their youth activists and organizers mobilized together for a statewide campaign to close Long Creek Youth Detention Center. The youth prison in South Portland has been the subject of controversy after reports leaked of violent incidents at the detention center.
Organizers and activists are calling on the closing to support voiceless youth stuck in an unjust punitive system. As part of their online campaign, Maine Youth Justice collaborated with artist Lorne Carter on a short documentary highlighting those who have been through the Long Creek.
Dominick, a Youth Steering Committee member, was a prominent voice featured in the documentary and throughout Maine Youth Justice’s ongoing campaign. Dominick had this to say about his experience going through the harsh system:
My biggest problem — and I face it to this day — they set you up to fail. When I got released, they gave me my commissary money and let me out the door. I had nothing. I had $60, and that was it. I didn’t have a place to go. People shouldn’t be thrown out there if they have nothing out there. It’s a cycle. it’s a trap. They set you up, so you keep coming back. They have failed me miserably, and I’m still struggling to this day because of it…I don’t want to see my community, my friends, my family, anyone.. I don’t want to see anyone get locked up. It’s not the option that should be pursued.
Recently, MYJ amplified Dominick’s experience on their Twitter:
The fight to close Long Creek continues, and in the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing Maine Youth Justice’s list of demands. Watch the short documentary below:
