We know that nearly all youth, as part of typical adolescent development, engage in delinquency. Unfortunately, data reflects that the Massachusetts Juvenile Justice system impacts youth of color more often, and more harshly, at nearly every decision point than is does for white youth in our communities. Seeing RED explores this upsetting phenomena, dissects solutions which can be implemented, and challenges everyone to be part of reversing this trajectory which pushes some youth deeper and deeper into our juvenile justice system.
JDAI Massachusetts produced Seeing RED as a tool for our community of committed juvenile justice stakeholders. This film lays out the problem and the national and local best practices to address disparity. We hope that this film will be screened in a group setting, followed by a robust discussion of what we can do to help all our children and increase equity in our system.
JDAI Massachusetts has produced supporting materials and discussion guides which are provided on this webpage. Moreover, we are training facilitators to support and guide the important conversations which will follow a screening. Explore our site below to learn more. Questions may be directed to jdai@state.ma.us.
Enjoy Seeing RED.
Further Support Materials
Person
- I Don’t Feel Your Pain, Slate
- Implicit Bias and Social Justice, Open Society Foundations
- NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll: Majority of whites see America as colorblind; nearly 80% of African-Americans do not
- Michael Brown and Black Men, The New York Times
Watch:
- Ask people to do something really simple: invite people into your life who don’t look like you. This TED talk, Color Blind or Color Brave?, asks us to become comfortable with the uncomfortable conversation about race. – TED
- The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, “The R Word” (Explicit)
Listen:
Role
- Why Are So Many Preschoolers Getting Suspended? The Atlantic
- Burch, Traci. Skin Color and the Criminal Justice System: Beyond Black-White Disparities in Sentencing, Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, 20 Aug 2015
Watch:
- Facilitate dialogue and understanding about the impact today of a history of discriminatory laws and public policies. This video, The Unequal Opportunity Race, challenges assumptions that racial inequality is solely the product of individual failure and shortcomings. – African American Policy Forum, Inc.
- Inspire an audience with the inspirational video, “Our Moment.” Mayda del Valle’s poem, along with music and striking images, focuses on fights for equity. – Equity Summit
- Growing Fairness Documentary and Tool Kit: Teachers Unite members outlined the principles embedded in the project, insistent that the training supports of the project address the reality of racially and economically segregated schools and their relationship to mass incarceration
Listen:
System
- The race gap for adults in incarceration is shrinking. Why is it widening for juveniles? This story looks at the numbers and the reasons why these disparities might be growing. – The Marshall Project
- The Case for Reparations, The Atlantic
- The consequences of mass incarceration of black men have radiated out to their families. Ta-Nehisi Coates writes about the black family in the context of a failed criminal-justice system. – The Atlantic
- Expansive Survey of America's Public Schools Reveals Troubling Racial Disparities
- Repairing the Breach: A Brief History of Youth of Color in the Justice System (PDF) links, a report from the Burns Institute highlighted at the JDAI Inter-site Conference in September, argues that “to overcome the structurally racist legacy outlined here and reduce racial and ethnic disparities, we must be focused and intentional.”
- The Racial and Ethnic Disparities Reduction Practice Manual, from the Center for Children's Law and Policy, is a web-based tool for practitioners with concrete guidance and strategies, downloadable tools and resources, and examples of successful reform work in jurisdictions throughout the country.
Watch:
- President Obama’s speech on Trayvon Martin and race in America
- Bryan Stevenson TED Talk, “We need to talk about an injustice”
National Resources / Organizations
- Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention DMC
- W. Heywood Burns Institute for Juvenile Justice Fainess & Equity
- Center for Children’s Law and Policy -Promoting Racial Justice
- Children’s Defense Fund Cradle to Prison Pipeline Campaign
- The Sentencing Project
- National Juvenile Justice Network
Seeing RED: National and Local Strategies informed by Data to Reduce RED
- Training on ways to counteract Implicit Bias in the professional sphere
- Objective Screening tools – RAI, MASTLE, DPI, JPAST, OYAS,YLS-CMI
- Standardized self-report of data collection on race and ethnicity with all system stakeholders
- Probation Amnesty days for defaults and misdemeanor offenders, Graduated response tools, Police and Clerk Magistrate Diversion programs, Dually Involved Youth dedicated dockets, Reminder Calls, Specialty Courts
- DA Diversion programs pre and post-arraignment
- Evening reporting centers, GPS monitors, Reception Centers, Domestic Violence Diversion Centers, Transportation Vouchers, Court date Reminder Applications,
- DDAP, Wrap Around, Colloquy Project, Juvenile Resource Centers, Youth Sports Leagues, Gang Mediation, Police Athletic Leagues, School Based Diversion
- Policy change – Jurisdictional Age- floor and ceiling, Limiting School Based Policing, Court Hours of Operation and Case Processing Time Frames, Defining High risk apart from High Need, Legal Representation for all youth
- Assess the functioning of our systems, agencies, and organizations through a Racial Equity and Inclusion lens.
Host a Screening and Discussion
Would you like to host a Screening and Discussion of Seeing RED with your group? Below you will find some tips and tools to make a screening of this film simple.
Download:
- Film Screening Sign-in Sheet (editable for your event)
- Publicity Flyer for your film Screening (editable for your event)
- Short Trailer of Seeing RED - Send this two minute trailer to contact list before the event to generate interest in attending your Screening and Discussion. Click here to see the trailer.
To support your discussion of Racial and Ethnic Disparities, we have prepared some materials to assist.
Becoming A Seeing RED Facilitator
JDAI Massachusetts is currently seeking passionate and dedicated individuals to support our efforts to encourage dialogue about race, equity and inclusion in the Massachusetts’ youth-serving systems. We provide training, support, and a peer network of individuals to share experiences and reflections. Screening and Discussions happen throughout the state and we seek to pair facilitators together in this work.
If you would like to be a part of our network of facilitators, or would like to learn more, please email jdai@state.ma.us.
About the Director: Casey C. Hayward
Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Casey Hayward has a knack for finding the beauty and quirkiness in life. His films explore the creative process, whether in the arts or engaging issues of social justice. Casey enjoys finding small stories that speak to larger concerns in our society, culture and environment. Hayward has won numerous festival and broadcast awards in his 15-year career. His films have screened theatrically, on the web and on PBS. As an Associate Professor of Documentary Filmmaking at Bentley University, Casey enjoys connecting his filmmaking experience with students eager to learn how to be effective communicators. Casey holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree from Savannah College of Art and Design in Film and Television Production. He continues to search out topics of interest and import to audiences craving uncommon stories drawn from the world around us.