Solidarity Day

18 May 2009

Over 100 young people and youth workers from YMCAs across England and Wales came together on Thursday 14 May to lobby MPs on the issue of youth justice.

Young people from YMCAs around the country including London, Manchester, Bournemouth, Hertfordshire, Liverpool, Lincoln and Newport came together in London to lobby their MPs at the Houses of Parliament. In preparation for their march, they made banners and wrote letters to their MPs.

The group then marched through the streets of Westminster to parliament shouting slogans and chanting. Once they reached parliament, they took part in a debate, sponsored by Christine Russell MP. The debate gave campaigners the chance to put their questions to four MPs from all parties.

The debate covered topics including the media's portrayal of young people and the lack of positive stories about young people, how the community perceives young people, alternatives to custodial sentencing, why young people offend and reoffend and how the system is failing them.

Some young people also managed to meet their local MPs or leave letters for them asking them to support the campaign. They asked their MPs:

• to pledge to speak with respect about young people - particularly during election campaigns - rather than making sweeping generalisations associating young people with crime and antisocial behaviour
• to press MPs to support the UN Human Rights Council resolution on juvenile justice, which stresses the importance of rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-offenders
• to ask the government to reduce the number of young people in prison – reducing overcrowding in prison and ensuring custody is only used a last resort in response to serious and violent offences