I Am the Voice Art Compilation

From the Introduction:

Girls represent a growing share of the juvenile justice population. The girls who are sent into the system are disproportionately girls of color, and many are LGBT/gender non-conforming.

In most cases, the offenses that these girls commit do not present risks to public safety; instead, they reflect trauma that the girls have experienced. At higher rates than boys, girls in juvenile justice have mental health needs that most often go unaddressed by a punitive system that exacerbates their symptoms.

The system rarely provides girls with the opportunity to express themselves — or to be heard when they do. It offers few of the programs that girls need — healing-centered, gender-responsive, culturally competent, or trauma sensitive interventions. Some of the girls whose work appears in this booklet have participated in such programs, which are named in the acknowledgement section. But, more often, juvenile justice facilities do not see the girls for who they are.

This booklet is more than a statement; it is a window, a portal, into the experience of girls, and is the product of their hard work. We are grateful for their willingness to share their stories and insights, and we celebrate the skill, courage, and openness of their art. We offer our profound thanks to each contributor.
We also owe an immense debt of gratitude to our friends and partners, new and old, who spread the word and supported the artists through the submission process.