Youth, community members and advocates will come together to rally outside of the Spofford Juvenile Detention Center, currently known as Bridges. New York City has promised to close the
facility by April 1, 2011. The Campaign is calling on Mayor Bloomberg to turn the site over to the community for positive repurposing. They are also calling on city and state legislators to protect funds for community-based alternatives to detention, alternatives to incarceration, and prevention programs.

The Executive and the Legislature have proposed 2011-12 budgets that increase and annualize funds for alternative programs. However, these same budgets drastically cut funds for vital youth programs including Summer Youth Employment, After-School Advantage, foster care and delinquency prevention, and programs for runaway and homeless youth. Cutting these programs to balance the budget will most burden the children and families living in NYC communities already most impacted by youth and adult incarceration