I remember the day. Monday, June 5th, 2006. I had just returned from a wedding in Memphis. I was finishing my first year as a child welfare social worker in Washington DC. My boss’ boss was waiting for me when I arrived. She immediately invited me into her office.

Joseph was arrested over the weekend. Armed Robbery. They charged him as an adult.

I was confused. Then angry. He was 16. By all definitions, he was a kid.

My ignorance was a gift. I committed myself to understanding this practice. I found others working on the issue. That’s how I came to know Free Minds Book Club, an organization serving children incarcerated at DC’s adult jail. The practice was so common that there was an entire unit for children being charged as though they were adults. An entire unit.

After a year during which my social work license was threatened and I was recognized as the city’s child welfare social worker of the year, Joseph was receiving psychological treatment in a facility for young people (I spoke about this during a convocation address at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education). Without that urgent, personal connection, I remained a Free Minds volunteer and - during my time at Reach - we built connections between the two organizations, when possible.

When I began building a consulting practice, my knowledge of the field led me to one of my first clients, the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project. Later, it led me to additional engagements with Juvenile Law Center and the Philly Defenders.

The Philly Defenders’ board was actually quite surprised when - during a governance retreat - I could speak with some knowledge of the Miller, Montgomery, and Lee decisions (all cases about the constitutionality of long prison sentences for youth sentenced in adult courts - an issue different from, but related to, the practice of charging children as though they were adults).

Years ago, when Penn Charter - where I serve on the board - asked for my help in designing a service experience during the 8th grade’s annual trip to DC, a relationship with Free Minds was born.

For several years when I lived in DC, I would join the 8th grade for an experience called On The Same Page. Now, back in Philadelphia, I got to speak to PC’s 8th grade ahead of this year’s DC trip. I got to share with them that Pennsylvania is a leader in youth incarceration.

I got to tell a room of 14-year-olds about Stacey, someone I’ve come to know who was sentenced to die in prison at their age.

I got to tell them that Lee decision will provide Pennsylvania with the opportunity to bring home over 1,000 people who were automatically sentenced to die in prison when they did not actually cause a death.

Like me, they were first confused. Then angry.

I hope they’ll keep learning. There’s much work left to do.