GIRLS (IN)JUSTICE REFERRAL PROGRAM
Serving Black girls who do not have the privilege of childhood innocence
“The work has only just begun.”
Dear Diary’s Girls (In)Justice Referral Program provides mentoring to high school (9th-12th grade) Black girls who have involvement of any capacity with the Dane County Juvenile Justice System. In addition to mentoring services, our team provides assistance with employment, health relations, legal assistance and support, and more. Furthermore, Dear Diary is also committed to the families of each of our mentees, providing needed support services for them as well.
Our goal is to strategically reduce the number of girls of color impacted by the legal system by dismantling systems that negatively impact these girls.
We strive to be on the frontlines for our girls in a way that shows authenticity to oneself, respect for process and strategy, and resilience to the task at hand. Not only do we infiltrate the system as an adult team, we also empower of girls to continue to stand up and speak out.
Adultification is defined as “a social or cultural stereotype that is based on how adults perceive children in the absence of knowledge of children’s behavior and verbalizations.”
In the 2017 groundbreaking study at Georgetown Law’s Center on Poverty and Inequality, data shows that Black girls are perceived by adults as less innocent and more adult-like than white girls of the same page, particularly between 5-14 years old. The study goes further to conclude that these perceptions of Black girls increases the likelihood of school disciplinary infractions as well as juvenile justice involvement. Also highlighted is the lack of leadership and mentoring opportunities afforded to Black girls due to the idea that they are more socially mature and self-reliant and do not need the same nurturing and support to access and achieve such opportunities.
These dangerous perceptions of Black girls continue to plague our communities, resulting in a steady increase of Black girls’ involved in the legal system even before they are teens. To continue to change this toxic narrative for Black girls, we must recognize that “the work has only just begun.’
Dear Diary Mentors & Staff
Dear Diary mentors and staff come from various walks of life. This allows diversity in the program to strengthen our capacity to provide exceptional and innovative services to the girls we serve.