Juvenile Law Center

As a teenager, Shirkey witnessed problems with Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system at every stage—from his arrest and court hearings to two years of lock up and beyond. After his release, he discovered a way to make a change that would impact several generations: Shirkey joined other system-involved youth in Juvenile Law Center’s advocacy program, Juveniles for Justice (J4J), and in 2008, they brought their concerns to U.S. Senate staff in Washington, D.C. In particular, the group addressed the excessive use of force facility staff employed during physical restraints and described how youth were frequently pinned facedown to the floor and held in painful positions—sometimes for very minor infractions. Such excessive restraints, they explained, frequently resulted in injuries.

“I didn’t think it was right, especially when dealing with kids,” said Shirkey, who endured his share of unnecessary aggression. He and the others urged the Senate staff to impose limitations on the use of restraints in the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), a law currently before Congress for reauthorization.

For Shirkey, the advocacy proved pivotal. “The D.C. trip opened my eyes,” he said. “It got me thinking about younger kids…that are coming behind me.”

In 2009, J4J switched its annual focus to reintegration and re-entry and set out to improve the support youth receive in their communities when they come back from placement. Shirkey drew from his own post-detention experience during which he struggled to get back on track at school and find a job. “I had a reintegration worker, but I only saw her two or three times,” he said. “I needed a mentor.” Shirkey and the other J4J youth advocates created a comprehensive resource guide of instructions and services for newly released youth that they distributed to school districts, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, and the Philadelphia Department of Human Services.

Shirkey now uses his advocacy skills as a J4J mentor, In 2011, he aided the organization’s efforts to address the excessive use of force at arrest by preparing juveniles for meetings with Philadelphia’s Deputy Police Commissioner and the Director of the Police Advisory Commission. He shared with the group a personal story about how an improper restraint permanently injured his hand and how he helped create a citywide poster campaign encouraging youth to speak up and file complaints in the wake of police abuse. His work has benefitted dozens of mistreated children.