FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, December 22, 2011 CONTACT: Amy Steele, Luna Media Group amy@lunamediagroup.

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New Study Reveals Record Level of Arrests Among Young Americans As Lobbyists Spend Millions to Build More Prisons
Organization for Young Americans Calls on Washington to Create Economic, Educational Opportunities for Youth
WASHINGTON, D.C. On Monday, a new study by Pediatrics revealed the skyrocketing rate of arrests among young Americans: Up to 41 percent of young Americans will be arrested by the time they reach age 23. As government spending on prisons increases and the industry rakes in the profits, OURTIME.org a national non-profit organization that stands up for Americans under 30 reacts to the lack of initiative from elected leadership to help the millennial generation succeed by creating economic and educational opportunities. During this economic downturn, why are we focused on building more prisons to cage our young people? says Matthew Segal, President and co-founder of OURTIME.org. Our taxpayer dollars should be invested in the greatest equalizer that will help reduce the amount of arrests in the first place: our education system. According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United States ranks 14th in reading skills, 17th in science and 25th in mathematics out of 34 countries worldwide. Adding to the adversity of young Americans is month after month of record high unemployment. The U.S. Department of Labor marked November as the ninth straight month of an unemployment rate above 15% for the demographic. The link between the U.S.s failing education and economic system and its high rate of incarceration is more than coincidence, says Segal. Congress continues to cut education, the economy remains nearly stagnant, and our only answer is to fund more prisons in order to lock up a growing number of young people. Why is Washington refusing to acknowledge this countrys failing educational system as a possible contributor to the unprecedented rate of youth incarceration? Instead of fostering opportunities for young Americans, our elected leaders seem to put higher education further and further out of reach. The prison industry, which has seen an increase in government spending of 72% from 1997 to 2007, sustains the benefits from more prisoners by influencing public policy through the persuasion of lobbying firms and direct campaign contributions.

OURTIME.org continues to stand up for the rights and well-being of young Americans and has been outspoken on a wide range of issues over the past several months: demanding universities immediately cease the practice of allowing Wall Street recruiters preferred access to students in exchange for financial contribution with a Stop the Brain Drain petition; supporting the boycott of political contributions with Starbucks CEO Howard Schultzs Upward Spiral Campaign; and launching a petition in August entitled Vacations Over! calling on Congress to CANCEL their vacation, head back to Washington, and get back to work on behalf of their constituents. OURTIME.org is a national organization founded and run by young Americans, leveraging pop culture, business partnerships, and online organizing to drive civic engagement through economic empowerment. To follow OURTIME.org on Facebook go to: http://www.facebook.com/OurTimeOrg. Or to follow OURTIME.org on Twitter, go to: www.Twitter.com/OurTimeOrg. ###