; Whereas it is harmful to public safety and to young offenders to confine youth in adult jails or prisons where they are significantly more likely to be physically and sexually assaulted and where they are often placed in solitary confinement; Whereas youth sentenced as adults receive an adult criminal record that deters future education or employment opportunities, and the collateral consequences normally applied in the adult justice system should not automatically apply to youth arrested for crimes before the age of 18; Whereas youth who receive extremely long sentences deserve an opportunity to demonstrate their potential to grow and change; and Whereas people around the country participate in Youth Justice Action Month in October to increase public awareness of the issues facing youth transferred to the adult criminal justice system and to provide people across the country with an opportunity to develop action-oriented events in their communities: Now, therefore, be it