I’m supporting Seth Levy for Cumberland County district attorney because we need to stop incarcerating young people in Maine.

We jail children and teenagers for crimes we would never jail adults for: theft, simple assault, criminal mischief, indecent exposure, disorderly conduct, trespass, lack of stable housing.

Seventy-seven percent of youth at Long Creek are held for low-risk and misdemeanor offenses. It costs $250,000 a year to keep a child in Long Creek.

Thirty percent of Long Creek students come directly from psychiatric residential facilities. Eighty-five percent have a history of using special education services.

I know a young man who spent nine months in Long Creek awaiting trial on a misdemeanor charge simply because, at the time of his arrest at age 15, he was legally homeless. Incarcerating adolescents for what is common adolescent risk behavior is not “criminal justice.” It’s just criminal.

That’s why I’m supporting Seth Levy for Cumberland County district attorney. He’s a strong litigator who believes in a better approach. He looks at Long Creek as being an absolute last resort that’s over-utilized in its current capacity. I know that Seth, as district attorney, would advocate for local alternatives to incarceration.

Seth says: “Jail for children should be the absolute last resort. We need to help children develop pro-social behavior and become engaged with their families, schools and communities. As district attorney I will not send children to jail unless there is a public safety risk.”

Seth has worked on diversion programs, expanding juvenile justice, and as a guardian ad litem, and his commitment to this work is personal. As a young boy he was the victim of a violent crime, so he understands what it means to be a victim of crime, he knows the criminal justice system and he knows that children and teenagers should have better options than jail. Please support Seth Levy in the June 12 Democratic primary.

Sarah Singer

Brunswick

Copy the Story Link