Chicago, IL - The findings from two surveys polled by the Center for Children's Law and Policy that reveal youth should be rehabilitated rather than incarcerated is a resounding rejection of a movement to imprison young people without giving them a chance to be rehabilitated. It is also an affirmation that counseling and reaching out to youth with compassion are more effective strategies and will save taxpayers money in the long run.

Such is the assessment of Mack D. McGhee, CEO of Transforming Lives International who has spent the last 15 years counseling and inspiring youth through compassion and caring. In that time, he has earned acclaim for his powerful ability to connect with youth, inspire them and turn their lives around. He said that many of the youth he's counseled, had been arrested but that they benefited from an environment that provided youth advocates and services.

The recently-released studies reveal that in Illinois, Washington, Pennsylvania and Louisiana the data were consistently in favor of the caring approach over the punitive option.

The surveys were conducted through the support of the John D. and Catherine D. MacArthur Foundation's $120 million Models for Change Initiative. The Foundation has a particular interest in Juvenile Justice and these studies are extensions of that concern.

The 36-year-old McGhee, who has earned acclaim for his motivational style and for transforming lives of thousands of youth he's touched, says the movement toward incarcerating youth and robbing them of an opportunity to redeem themselves, was strongly rejected by 90% of those polled in favor of the more effective approach of working with young people. And, the youth leader says, that is a positive indicator that means there is "Hope for Our Youth."

He says that putting youth away for long periods has resulted in "rehabilitatible" youth being thrown into the correctional system, losing their innocence and any hope of realizing their potential and becoming productive citizens.

"By the time they're released," mused McGhee, "they are often hardened criminals who have no hope of ever being contributing citizens." Instead, he says, "They perpetuate the cycle, become predators and all hope of overhauling their lives is lost."

McGhee says his passion on the subject is rooted in the reality that he was a wayward youth who turned his life around when he was 19. At that time, he was attacked with the claw side of a hammer and left him scarred not only physically but emotionally as well.

Rather than retaliate, he used the time in isolation to reflect on his life, which was on a destructive path. At that time, and in consultation with those who intervened, he was put on a positive course and eventually earned a master's degree. Along the way, he emerged as a motivational speaker and youth advocate.

However, he says that his potential to lead could have been wasted had he not been the beneficiary of counseling and caring.

McGhee said that many of the older offenders traditionally served by Juvenile Courts are being tried as adults without regard for their individual needs or circumstances. He said this defies the original mission of the Juvenile Court, which was established in 1899 to consider the developmental differences between youth and adults. To this end, the Juvenile Court treated youth through treatment rather than punishment.

McGhee added that this is a particular dilemma in the African-American community where the Models for Change Initiative documents the overrepresentation of minority youth in Illinois Juvenile Justice System. In Illinois, he noted, African-American youth make up just 19% of the state's population however they account for more than half of those who pass through detention centers.

McGhee said he favors instituting the primary areas of improvement as outlined in the Models for Change Initiative Systems Reform in Juvenile Justice, which focuses on:

• Treating young people as individuals and recognizing the fundamental differences between youth and adults
• Treating youth in a community-supported environment
• Advocating fair treatment at every point of contact, regardless of race and ethnicity.

"Programs such as Rites of Passage, Manhood Development, Project Visible Man, Cease Fire, Teen Reach, Evening Reporting Centers etc. etc can be effective in reaching many of these at-risk populations that may require intervention by Juvenile Court." He said elimination of these programs will tear at the core of society.

Applauding the poll, McGhee declared, "The John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation has emerged as one of the world's most passionate champions of juvenile justice. Their supported studies are on the cutting edge of Illinois Juvenile Justice System reform. As documented in the studies supported by the Foundation, young people need the opportunity to turn the corner with their lives and get their lives back on track. Once they recognize the error of their ways in their youth, they move on to become responsible and productive adult members of our society."

Mack D. McGhee augments his work with youth through his motivational speaking. He is a favored commencement speaker and is a consultant for Governors State University, Crete-Monee School District 201-U, Joliet Job Corp, Chicago Public Schools, Lincoln Challenge, and Springfield Urban League. He is also author of "From Mediocre to Magnificent", "Ready, Set, Succeed", "Pursue the Passion for Your Purpose", "B.E.L.I.E.V.E. in Your Dream", and espouses the MACK Pack as a way to help youth and all who aspire to overcome life's hurdles. Adapting the letters from his name, the formula for success that he's applied to his own life is:

Motivation
Attitude
Commitment
And
Knowledge

For more information on Mack McGhee, log on to his website at: www.mackdmcghee.com

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