Leisure Behind Bars: The Realities of COVID-19 for Youth Connected to the Justice System

Abstract

The introduction of the coronavirus in any community is detrimental, however for correctional institutions the effects can be especially devastating. In an effort to reduce the impact of the virus, many locales have begun releasing youth back home. However, for young people experiencing the highest degree of constraint, the ability to choose how to spend their leisure has become even more restrained in light of COVID-19 due to increased restrictions and decreased resources. This essay exposes the reality of leisure during the corona pandemic for youth with justice system involvement through firsthand interviews with and by youth involved with Arts for Incarcerated Youth in Los Angeles. These personal narratives are contextualized with a comprehensive policy evaluation of leisure and recreation programming for juvenile justice facilities and theoretical implications according to Social Justice Youth Development (Ginwright & Cammarota, 2002; León et al., 2019).