2010 Winner: 18-22

The black words regarded me seriously; there they stood: “Compassion: to feel pity, sorrow, for the suffering or trouble of another or others, accompanied by an urge to help” (Webster’s Dictionary 1982). I stared at that definition, my father’s worn dictionary sitting on my lap. I have never really thought about it, I guess – what the word compassion really meant. Then I began to think introspectively. When had I really experienced or, more importantly, practiced compassion? Yes, I may call myself Christian, I told myself, but when had I ever truly sympathized with the suffering of those around me and tried to alleviate it? It is so much easier to close my eyes, look the other way, and go on with my life. What is my awareness of the issues that affect others? Imprisoned children, hunger, broken homes… the list of problems that I was intentionally oblivious to went on and on. I began to experience an uncomfortable feeling, the type one feels when they find an unwelcome truth buried deep within. I was not compassionate enough; I needed to make a change. I also realized that there were probably thousands of others who also remained unaware of the issues that affected others, who smothered that feeling of truth within them. What about the imprisoned child, relatively voiceless and defenseless? Their natural childlike innocence is wounded from unguided wide eyes led to see what is too old for them to comprehend or discern right from wrong. This issue of child imprisonment is an issue that transcends national borders and cultural lines, as it is seen both in poorer countries such as Brazil as well as wealthy countries like the United States.

Juvenile imprisonment is not limited to any one race or country; rather it is an issue universal to our world. While some countries, simply from the advantage of being wealthier, give more chances to imprisoned children, all countries imprison children. In many impoverished countries such as Bolivia, the children are imprisoned even when they have not committed a crime. This is because their parents are incarcerated and the children have no other place to live. Says one young Bolivian girl, who had to live with her mother in prison “It was awful, I was really scared… it’s horrible there… (and) they didn’t let us out very often” (Prison Fellowship International – video interview). To consider the impact of this type of an environment on a young child or young adult is shocking. The outlook for the future of these children appears to be almost hopeless because they basically are raised in prison. It is putting the future of a country into the hands of those committed to prison. It sets the stage for the children to be neglected, abused, and perhaps, lead a life of crime themselves.

While the severity of the crimes are increasing in poor countries, they seem to be less complex than those seen in wealthier countries. Often in impoverished nations, children steal to survive or to support a drug addiction (pbs.org 2007). It is appalling that a child would have to worry about his or her own welfare, worse that he or she should have to steal for it, and even worse that these children are already addicted to drugs which will probably lead to other crimes.

The court systems and prison conditions in impoverished countries can be horrible. Many children are held without trial or kept in overcrowded adult prisons with adults convicted of heinous crimes (UNICEF 2005). They have little voice, probably because they are so young and vulnerable and are often the silent victims of injustice. Brazil’s prisons are an example of awful prison conditions because they are “poorly planned” and heavily overcrowded (BBC News 2004). These prisons are a nightmare for the adults committed to them, and even more so for the helpless children sentenced there.

Moving north from Bolivia, we see the pain in the eyes of children imprisoned, all the way north to the United States, which also shares in the universal issue of child imprisonment. The outlook for the future for imprisoned children in the United States is mixed. Statistics show that approximately 8% of children incarcerated as juvenile delinquents become repeat offenders (numerous internet sources). This is a sorrowful scenario as it indicates that many of these imprisoned children are entering (or perhaps were even born into) a vicious cycle of crime. However, there is some hope for imprisoned youth in the U.S. Because of the expansive network of alternative programs for delinquent youth. These programs seem to try to help children in bad situations overcome them and enjoy their childhoods while learning to become responsible citizens. Many are aimed to help kids avoid prison while others are an alternative to prison. While many of these programs are state-run, there are also many independent organizations to help trouble children (Stevens 2004).

In the United States, the crimes that young people are imprisoned for are often more complex than those in lesser developed counties. Rather than thefts for stealing food, we see drug charges and worse. For example, Mark Stevens of the University of California, Fresno, cites statistics from a 1991 study by Chesney-Lind & Sheldon that includes statistics on U.S. Juvenile crimes such as embezzlement and forgery as well as runaway behavior (Stevens 2004). The fact that these youth are following the thought process to these crimes pulls at the soul. They are so young, yet imagine what has caused them to take these paths. Bad influences and lack of good role models are only part of the story as poverty level aslo affects the rates of child imprisonment (Stevens 2004).

While imprisonment is heartbreaking to imagine for any child, the methods and processes in the United States appear to be the most lenient. As Stevens explains “Juvenile courts… operate with a philosophy (of rehabilitation) that even the worse delinquent is not to be considered a criminal,… but instead an erring or sick child who needs help (2204 – original parentheses). The fact that the court system attempts to be kind to these “erring or sick” children is consoling, however the searingly painful truth is still there; that sometimes children are indeed imprisoned, in some cases, for life (Equal Justice Initiative 2010). Also, it is to be noted that while these prisons may be better than those in poorer countries, they still are horrible places for young developing people. Juvenile prisons are dangerous places to be, with violent gang activity and sexual assaults rampant (Lawershop.com 2010). The truth that children, who by their innate innocence should be shielded and protected from the evils of the world, are thrust into these types of institutions is heart-rendering and calls us, the citizens, to action.

If this calls us to action, how can we respond to the summons? We should ask ourselves the question, “What can I do to help these children?” The opportunities to help are countless and anybody – me, you, our friends and neighbors – can put into practice compassion by assisting these children. There are prison ministries, as well as opportunities to travel to impoverished countries to help. For those who are unable to physically visit and help them, but who feel the inner pain of these children, there are other options. We can give monetary donations to organizations dedicated to resolving this issue, lend our voice for those imprisoned children, often voiceless, by spreading awareness of this issue, and most importantly, we can pray for imprisoned children and for those who work tirelessly to help them achieve a happy and carefree childhood.

If we look, our eyes will find an imprisoned child, on every continent and in every nation, his or her tired eyes gazing back at us in pain, sorrow, and disbelief. Children in prison are an issue that all counties share, regardless of the quality of life of the population. Poorer countries can be harsher in their dealings with childhood crime. Impoverished nations also give little hope to the future of a youth, and children are often subjected to the worst of prison conditions. While wealthier countries may offer better opportunities to imprisoned children, they also struggle with the reality and the implications of incarcerating a child. The inner stirring of my conscience have driven me to learn more about a topic that I could have easily avoided. Oblivious to the sufferings of my fellow youth, I was uncompassionate, seeing them only as statistics. When I went deep into their stories and placed my feet in their tattered shoes, their pain scorched my conscience and awoke my compassion. As I step outdoors this evening into the fresh air, I remember with compassion the children unable to play, dance, laugh, – unable to be a child – in freedom. In short, I am mindful of the imprisoned child.