Dear Future President,

My name is Amber Lee and I am a senior in the Arts and Humanities Academy at Berkeley High School in Berkeley, CA. One of the most pressing issues in the United States right now is Juvenile Incarceration. There are many flaws in this system including facilities closely resembling adult prisons, overcrowded facilitates, and the lack of rehabilitation occurring inside the facilities. I am deeply affected by this matter because I am connected to a number of the 70% of nonviolent incarcerated youth who have not received the proper education entitled to them, and will struggle when they are released from jail because they have not acquired the skills necessary to be a functioning citizen in society due to the 3+ years of their lives being spent inside a lifeless cell.

As the next President of the United States of America, I believe it to be your duty to ensure that policy makers are creating systematic prison reforms that address the imperfections of the system, and to carry out the laws. Our detention centers should help students find the root to repeated bad behaviors, teach students alternatives to repeated bad behaviors, and encourage students to make a better life for themselves. Our children should be guaranteed a safe and clean space to think, learn, and improve. The staff should be qualified and stimulate nonviolence, accountability, and a passion for learning. There should be good healthcare and nutritious meals for a healthy mind and body. Students should leave the program understanding the importance of love, trust, change, value, and self-consciousness. In addition, I expect you to acknowledge and address the overwhelming number of oppressed minorities continuing the cycle of destruction, and are entangled in this corrupt system. Whether you're "with her" or "making America great again," as the leader and face of this country, you must recognize the pressing needs of its citizens, put personal satisfactions aside, and do what is best for the county as a whole.

Sincerely,

Amber Lee