By LIZ ANDERSON
Observer staff
April 23, 2008

Trying minors in adult court can increase the likelihood of continued criminal activity and may not hinder crime, a Washington-based group has argued.

The Campaign for Youth Justice reports that minors serving time in prison are in an environment that doesn’t nurture or support their transformation into law-abiding citizens. In some instances, the group argues, prison can actually teach these young and impressionable youth better ways to be a criminal.

The Observer’s Liz Anderson and Cristina Fernandez-Pereda follow Lamarzs Wilson and Dwayne Betts, two young men sent to adult prisons as teenagers. They share what they experienced in the prison system and their expectations for the future.

The Observer also talks with Campaign for Youth Justice Founder Liz Ryan who argues that a disproportionate number of youth of color are being transferred to the adult prison system. Click on each picture to hear their story.