I am going to go on a limb here to discuss something that we will probably NEVER see on TV – the cost of educating a child versus the cost to incarcerate one in Chicago and Illinois. All of the research I conducted for this story was done in 2008, so some of the information may be a little outdated. The information was obtained from the Chicago Public Schools and Illinois Department of Corrections.

Chicago High School Students

During the FY 2007-2008, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) spent $10,555 operating expenditure per pupil and $9,488 per capital tuition. While I don’t fully understand the per capita tuition (although I could ask), this $10,000 pales in comparison to the money Illinois state spends on juvenile detention.

Things to keep in mind as you read:
1. The average age of detained youth in Illinois is between 16 and 17 years of age.
2. Some of the facilities are overcrowded.
3. With all of the money that is being spent, is correction really going on?

Illinois Youth Center Chicago
Opened: July 1999
Capacity: 130
Level 3: Minimum-Security Juvenile Male
Average Daily Population: 104
Total Average Daily Population: 104
Average Age: 17
Average Annual Cost Per Inmate: $76,095.00

IYC-Chicago is located on the west side of the city and is a leased property that occupies the third floor of a rehabbed warehouse building. The facility houses approximately 100 male youth per day. There are approximately 97 employees at the center. The institution also serves as a drop-off center for all juvenile parole violators in District 1. Transitional programming has been supplemented by federal grants that will allow the facility to contract for re-entry services. These services assist youth in their return and progress back into the community. Violence intervention programs have included Schwab “In My Shoes” presentations that discuss the impact of gang activity. Former gang members confined to wheelchairs as a result of gang-related gunfire talk to youth about their lives before and after tragic life-altering incidents in an effort to warn youth about their high-risk lifestyles.

Illinois Youth Center Harrisburg
Opened: July 1983
Capacity: 276
Level 4: Multiple-Security Juvenile Male
Average Daily Population: 316
Total Average Daily Population: 316
Average Age: 17
Average Annual Cost Per Inmate: $52,545.00
Overcrowded

Illinois Youth Center-Harrisburg serves as one of the secure medium-security Level 2 institutions for the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice currently housing an average daily population of 326 male offenders. IYC-Harrisburg provides a broad range of services to youth incarcerated at the facility. These services include remedial, secondary and college level education courses, a GED program, library services, vocational training, guidance and work training programs. Diagnostic and evaluative services and special education programs are also provided.

Illinois Youth Center Joliet
Opened: April 1959
Capacity: 344
Level 1: Maximum-Security Juvenile Male
Average Daily Population: 230
Total Average Daily Population: 230
Average Age: 17
Average Annual Cost Per Inmate: $56,351.00

The Illinois Youth Center-Joliet remains focused on providing a safe and secure working and living environment for all staff and youth. As today’s society experiences increases in violent behavior, chemical dependency and a failure of our traditional institution to adequately guide young people, youths come to the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice with a greater history of violence and an increased need for intervention. Youth who obtain their GED are given specific job assignments. Youth are enrolled in school immediately upon arrival to the facility.

Illinois Youth Center Kewanee
Opened: November 2001
Capacity: 180
Level 2: Medium-Security Juvenile Male
Average Daily Population: 260
Total Average Daily Population: 260
Average Age: 17
Average Annual Cost Per Inmate: $96,087.00
Overcrowded

Opened in November 2001, Illinois Youth Center-Kewanee is a secure medium-security facility that houses youthful male offenders. IYC-Kewanee has five 60-cell housing units. The facility includes a Medical Unit with six infirmary beds, eight crisis cells. The Education Department has 18 general education classrooms and three vocational classrooms. IYC-Kewanee is designated as a special treatment facility, focusing on treatment for youth with severe mental health issues, substance abuse problems and sex offenders. A wide range of intensive treatment programs are in place to address these issues, including psychiatric, medical care and counseling services provided 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Academic, vocational, recreational, religious and volunteer programs support these services.

Illinois Youth Center Murphysboro
Opened: April 1997
Capacity: 156
Level 2: Medium-Security Juvenile Male
Average Daily Population: 75
Total Average Daily Population: 75
Average Age: 17
Average Annual Cost Per Inmate: $84,403.00

As IYC-Murphysboro is the state’s only juvenile boot camp, its mission remains clear: to prepare youth for positive, successful lives by developing self-discipline, teamwork, self-esteem and self-worth as individuals. To accomplish this, staff consistently strives to provide a military-style environment that encourages cadets to reach a higher point in their lives. Cadets begin the eye-opening experience of participating in the boot camp program at 5:30 a.m. each morning and continue the fully programmed day until 9 p.m., seven days a week. It takes many staff, volunteers and mentors to fill those 16-hour days. Education continues to be central to all programming at IYC-Murphysboro.

Illinois Youth Center Pere Marquette
Opened: March 1963
Level 3: Minimum-Security Juvenile Female

IYC- Pere Marquette is a level three, medium security female facility with an open campus. IYC-Pere Marquette is the first juvenile facility totally dedicated to a modified therapeutic community treatment model, with a focus on regionalizing admissions based on commitment county. IYC-Pere Marquette does not house any special offender population. Youth benefit from more intense intervention and treatment-oriented programming that will ensure them an opportunity for a structured and disciplined setting to educate them in positive life building skills.

Illinois Youth Center St. Charles
Opened: December 1904
Capacity: 318
Level 2: Medium-Security Juvenile Male
Average Daily Population: 328
Total Average Daily Population: 328
Average Age: 16
Average Annual Cost Per Inmate: $56,163.00
Overcrowded

The Illinois Youth Center-St. Charles is a Level 2 medium-security facility. It is unique as an institution because in addition to the general population program, the facility processes the majority of all male offenders committed to IDOC. The type of offender assigned to this facility may have an overall designation of high, medium or low escape risk. He will be classified as either high or medium security risk based on his committing offense and criminal history, size, age, level of aggressiveness and security threat group (STG) orientation. Offenders with all classes of crimes are assigned here.

Illinois Youth Center Warrenville
Opened: January 1973
Capacity: 86
Level 4: Multiple-Security Juvenile Female
Average Daily Population: 78
Total Average Daily Population: 78
Average Age: 16
Average Annual Cost Per Inmate: $80,365.00

IYC-Warrenville serves a juvenile female population with multi-service needs. The center provides GED and high school diploma academic services, an in-patient substance abuse treatment program, vocational programs, mental health services, medical services, clinical services, leisure time activities, parenting education, assessments and family reunification programming. The average age of the juvenile females at the center is 16.3 years.

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As you can see, millions of dollars are spent on incarcerating instead of educating children in Chicago and Illinois.  If a fraction of the money that was spent on locking up a child was used to effectively educate, this article would not had been written.  But, since the education system is set up to fail our children, the incarceration rate will continue to grow along with profits of the prison system.  This is a topic that would probably never be seen on TV.

I am not hating on these beautiful women at all, but no adult I know personally is this skinny.  This is an unhealthy type of skinny.  As my friend, Demond, would say, “They need a buffet.”

According to an article in Netscape Home & Living,

“The fashion industry assumes these standard measurements for a woman: 35-inch bust, a 27-inch waist, and 37.5-inch hip. In the real world, women ages 36 to 45 actually average:

White: 41-34-43

Black: 43-37-46

Hispanic: 42.5-36-44

Asian: 41-35-43”

Even though this article mentions women ages 36 – 45, I’ve seen teenagers exceed the standards mentioned above.  I digressed.

Getting back to the original topic.  The skinny women in this ad do not accurately reflect the women in society.  And, healthy, shapely women may not be seen on TV because they may be viewed as fat by media and fashion industry representatives .

To my readers, please know that thin is not in, but healthy lifestyles are.

The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Based on this definition alone, can you imagine how fucked up Black people living in America really are? The media contributes greatly to this state of poor health affairs directly and indirectly.  However, it all starts with the mind.

In The Mis-Education of the Negro, Dr. Carter G. Woodson said that when you control a man’s thinking, you don’t have to worry about what he’s going to do.  The media has Black people’s minds on lockdown.  I’d like to think of them as the modern day Willie Lynch.

Robert Entman and Andrew Rojecki expounded more about the media’s roles in affecting race relations in America in The Black Image in the White Mind.  They actually quoted statistics.  After reading this book, you will know why the media is not good for the mental of Black people.

I’m not going to go into great detail right now about how the media affects our mental well-being, but just know that the mental state of Black people in America is very fucked up right about now.  And, this topic will NOT be seen on TV.

I was not looking for sexual intercourse, I was looking for images similar to the ones below.

What?  Black people are not capable of real intimacy? Or, is it assumed that we are hyper-sexual individuals?  Or, do they not look at us as human beings when it comes to sex?

Whatever.  Let me go to my story about 30-Something Married 10 Years or More to find real couples’ stories about partnerships and real intimacy.

Credits: The following images were obtained from a Google image search

As I saw this exhibit, I had to wonder: is this how media conglomerates and white audiences view black people today? Not as real people with real problems and feelings; but as entertainment and amusement?

I ask this because when I do watch television, there are very few black people on my screen. (I feel that all minorities are under-represented by the media, but I’m not of those races and ethnicities, and therefore cannot speak for them).  However, when African Americans are shown, they are in the most stereotypical and horrible roles.

Contrary to what is seen on TV, we are real people with real problems and feelings.  Almost all shows starring African Americans are comedies, even when story lines contain serious issues.  WTF?  Do they not think we are capable of good dramas that do not include stereotypical messages and portrayals?  Can black people live “normal” (whatever that means) lives on TV and in movies?  Can there not be hip hop music and booty shaking in the background to make people think that we are all musically inclined?  And, we are all not “ghetto”;  we are all not poor; and we do have morals and values.

Another interesting observation about media practices is that when they attempts to show African Americans in a positive light, underlying messages are almost always negative or stereotypical.  I don’t have any examples right now, but I’ll be sure to share when I see them.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my wonderment on how media conglomerates and white audiences view black people today.  Do they see us as real people with real problems and feelings or as entertainment and amusement?

However, I received word that GenTech Digital Media Education & Training Center was invited to discuss video game creation, 2-D and 3-D animation, web design and film production with Disney’s audience on Sunday, February 7^th.  Just by looking at the photo below, clearly they are open to diversity when it comes to guests on the show.

They just need to be more open with their musical selections.

Where Are the Black People?

I like Desperate Housewives. I’ve been watching the shows for years. During those years, there was only one Black family on Wisteria Lane. After they were written out after the first season, there hasn’t been any. Disappointing.

I emailed ABC either last year or year before last about the absence of African Americans. I forgot the response. All I know is: there were no Black people then, and there aren’t any now.

Like I stated early, I really do like Desperate Housewives. Before I draw my own conclusions, I have to ask ABC one more time: Where are the Black people on Desperate Housewives?

A response would be greatly appreciated.

Photo: Entertainment Weekly via Google Image Search