Mission

missionUsing the theatre as its vehicle, Day Room Window’s mission is to educate the public and effect societal attitudes and policies regarding the treatment and incarceration of children.

 

Issues Addressed

  • Incarcerating children in adult prisons continues to subject them to abusive circumstances and insures that their criminal thoughts and behaviors will thrive.
  • Isolation for children in adult prison, mandated in many states, is detrimental to their well-being and prohibits rehabilitation. In other states, when not isolated, they are in extreme danger of physical and sexual abuse from adult inmates.
  • Like all children, incarcerated children have their unique gifts. But they go unrecognized and wasted by people and a system that is either brutal and/or indifferent. Such indifference to children costs them not only fulfillment of those gifts but their freedom as well.
  • Children are capable of profound change given the opportunity, the right circumstances and attention from at least one loving adult.
  • Given access to art, children experience a sense of accomplishment, learn skills, develop self- expression, and gain self-esteem, all of which can contribute to reduction in crime and low recidivism.
  • Abuse scars all children, but advantaged children often have access to artistic activities and supportive adults which mitigate the abuse. Children raised and abused in poverty often have little or no access to these opportunities or adults.
  • There is racial disparity when sentencing juveniles as adults. African-American children are 9 times more likely and Latino children 40% more likely than white children to receive an adult prison sentence.
  • A society is responsible for what happens to its children, and what happens to its children affects all of society.