Guns Down, Word Up - About Us

Dear Prep,

We are writing about the impact of incarceration on children and siblings today. Exam the articles to pen your understanding about the impact on both groups.

Impact on children and siblings

In the text Captive lives. I learned  Luna Garcia is a young girl who suffers from her dad’s mistakes of being convicted of crimes, causing him to be in and out of jail. In the text it states Jose Garcia who has served time primarily for drug offenses and auto theft, isn’t the only one paying a price for his crimes. Luna is too. She carries the burden and the stigma of having a father who is not just absent but behind bars, a fact that studies show gives her children like her long odds at success in life. Another thing I learned an estimated ten million children in the U.S. have parents who have been incarcerated at some point in their lives.

In the second text I read Imprisoning love I learned 35,000 children a year are affected by the incarceration of a sibling. I also learned for 16-year old Sandra , feeling bitterly disappointed in her older brother has set up painful internal conflicts with the admiration and love she clearly feels for him. She stated “I had to go along to court to be there for him. It was horrible she said, I couldn’t talk to him, couldn’t touch him or cuddle him. But I had to stay strong for him, because I’d cried he’d have been upset. According to the text the younger sibling is obviously suffering from her brother’s incarceration, Another thing I learned recommendations are that prisons should ensure that facilities and conditions for visits are as child-friendly as possible , that resources about children affected by sibling imprisonment should be developed.

To my own knowledge I know for a fact my siblings suffered from me being incarcerated. They go through a lot when I’m incarcerated for months and weeks at a time, I know they worry about me and I know I hurt them with the things I do and bad choices I make. In my opinion this is a significant issue for the simple fact that loved ones are suffering from family being incarcerated. I think we should start a movement to make everyone aware about this significant issue by posting blogging to let everyone know we care about this issue. Our goal is to get the word out that we will be going to school’s to talk to younger brother’s/sister’s about this problem, and share some ideas about how we can change this situation. About siblings being affected by loved ones being incarcerated  

 JN

Impact on children and siblings, How does it feel for a child when their brother or sister is sent to prison? Nobody had answered the question until Rosie Meek, went to the visitor centre to find out. 35,000 children a year are affected by the incarceration of a sibling. An estimated 10 million children in the u.s. have parents who have been incarcerated at some point in their lives. Such children have a greater chance of experiencing physical and mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. The families are less likely to be financially stable and more likely to be homeless. At school, they are more likely to be suspended or expelled or drop out. One in 9 black children in this country has had an incarcerated parent, compared with 1 in 28 latino children and 1 in 57 white children, according to the pew charitable trusts. I would never leave my sister again she always told me she hate that I get locked up so that’s why I haven’t been locked up since 2013 to show my sister that’s not me. I truly agree that if I leave my sister that will play a big part in her life because I'm always there for her we don’t have our father he’s incarcerated so I know how it feels. That’s why I'm interested in the program Guns Down Word Up, To Stop The violence and make us young people stop the killing read more, pay close attention in class so we can stop killing each other off.

(GDWU) Guns Down Word Up is a group of young teens working to stop the shooting violence in Chicago Il. We are here to make more of us teens pick up a book and read it. Its very important to us that we study with a serious mindset to reject dependency on others to motivate and educate us. We will begin to live with greater authority over our own lives as we seek to make a difference in the world. We will organize!   

Guns Down Word Up

We are a movement to stop violence in our youth and children.

We are a local organization, our goal is to expand city wide. Illiteracy is causing a high percentage of incarceration . We want to be a voice to help prevent violence. We want to help children get their education. Illiteracy incarceration and violence have a strong connection. Here are some statistics and facts. 85 percent of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate. More than 60 percent of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate. Penal institution records show that inmates have a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy help, as opposed to 70% who receive no help. This equates to taxpayer coasts of $25,000 per year inmate and nearly double that amount for juvenile offenders. One in four grows up not knowing how to read. 43%of adults at level 1 literacy   skills live in poverty compared  to only 4%of those at level 5. 3 out of 4 food stamps recipients perform in the lowest 2 literacy levels. 90%of welfare recipients are high school dropouts.

Guns Down: Literacy Up: Teens, Literacy, & Violence - Day 15

Dear Prep,

We will continue to work on developing a new youth movement. A possible title is Guns Down: Words Up based on your suggestions. I am looking forward to working with you to address two critically important issues - gun violence and literacy.

Disastrous Literacy Statistics

2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare: We must address this!

More than 60% of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate: We must address this!


Over 70% of inmates in America's prisons cannot read above a 4th-grade level: We must address this!

Kids’ Education Matter

What I learned today is children that have a hard time reading is most likely in risk of becoming a criminal when they get older. By the 4^th grade if you child isn’t reading at a high reading level him/her can have a bad out come in life in the texts it says “ 2 out of 3 students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the 4^th grade will end up in jail or on welfare.” 85 percent of juveniles who interface with the court system is most likely illiterate. 10 percent of African American boys and 14 percent of Hispanic boys reading proficiently, compared to the 25 percent of white peers. I think kids not being able to read is the reason they get incarcerated or live in poverty or live off welfare, It’s the lack of help and support the people around them give them because kids are easily trained and if you want your child doing good do good yourself even though that’s not always the outcome but it’s worth a try.  Kids gang bang, fight, shoot guns because that’s what they evolved around so that’s what they get into. Set a good influence on your child and good outcomes will eventually start to happen either now or later.

EJ

                                       Teenagers, Literacy, Violence

Thing’s I have learned today about teenagers, literacy, & violence is very important when learned about it today gun violence is a part of a vicious cycle of inequality in the U.S. Young black men, to escape poverty and violence. There are a large population of killing going on in the U.S. Literacy that is very important also. 85% of juveniles who interface with court system are functionally illiterate. It shows that only 34% of 4^th graders read proficiently, 14% for African-American boys & 18% for Hispanic boys, while 42% of white boys score proficient.  What I think about this we need help out all. People be ready to kill but can’t read. We need to Change the percentage on that killing percentage is higher than people knowing how to read percentage. To my opinion we need to start putting guns down and picking up books and going to school. Why those Teenagers, Literacy, and Violence matters because this is what people talk about on the news is teens and violence. What we see in school teen can’t read also jails as well. This very in a way to because I didn’t know we need to make a Change.

LS

                                  Teenage violence and Race       

In these four articles I read, I learned about the percentage of teenagers reading proficiently, literacy and violence. In the article guns and race I learned about the percentages of suicides and homicides in different races. 77 percent of white gun deaths are suicides. Less than one in five 19 percent is a homicide. The black population is completely different where only 14 percent of gun deaths are suicides but 82 percent are homicides. Firearm homicide rate among black aged 20-29 is about 89 per 100,000. There were 90.4 intentional murders per 100,000 people is 2012. In the article literacy statistics I learned 2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 4^th grade will end up in jail or in welfare. I also learned 85 percent of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate. Another thing I learned more than 60 percent of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate. I learned penal institution records show that inmate have a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy help, as opposed to 70% who receive no help. In the article black Boys in crisis I learned, 53 percent of children ages 3 to 5 are read to every day by a family member. I also learned 10 percent of 8^th graders that are black in the U.S. are proficient in reading. In urban areas like Chicago and Detroit, that number is even lower. In the article For Immediate Release I learned, 10 percent of African-American boys and 14 percent of Hispanic boys reading proficiently, compared to 25 percent of their white peers. I also learned Foundations have already committed $150 million toward programs helping young men of color reach their full potential in school, work and life. We need to intervene early in their lives and ensure that they achieve and critical milestone on grade level by the end of the third grade. In my opinion we need to make significant changes to these horrible percentages before its too late or gets any worse. We need to better our children and teenagers to make peaceful, and successful futures.

JN