In this issue:
- CJCJ youth clients explore the great outdoors at Yosemite
- Reentry Court Coordinator presents at international conference
- CJCJ cosponsored bill clears legislative hurdles
Justice-involved youth join CJCJ staff and mentors for an overnight team-building experience at Camp Mather in Yosemite National Park.
This month, CJCJ’s Youth Justice Mentoring Program (YJM) staff and juvenile justice program clients traveled to Yosemite National Park to participate in team-building activities at Camp Mather. Clients enjoyed recreational activities such as paddle boarding, swimming, canoeing, and horseback riding. In the evening, youth gathered around the campfire to connect with their peers and perform in the camp’s talent show.
The Camp Mather trip is made possible through a partnership with San Francisco’s Recreation and Parks Department, San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department, law enforcement, other city agencies, and nonprofit organizations. “We met, reconnected, and had a blast with so many amazing individuals and youth, including staff from city agencies and community-based organizations,” said YJM Mentoring Services Manager, Therese Turcios.
This annual trip to Yosemite National Park provides justice-involved youth with the chance to connect with nature and build positive relationships with adults. Therese recalls that, “Every morning at camp, a CJCJ YJM client woke up early to take swimming lessons at the pool. She would even wake up her mentor to join her.” CJCJ Deputy Director, Dinky Manek Enty, reflects, “It’s critical to disrupt the challenges our youth face daily in their lives with positive experiences like those offered at Camp Mather. Our wonderfully dedicated and passionate staff partner with allies to support our youth through these new experiences.”
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Reentry Court Coordinator presents at international conferenceCJCJ’s Wyatt Lim-Tepper represents the agency at a conference on innovations in criminal justice.
Wyatt Lim-Tepper, the Reentry Court Coordinator for CJCJ’s Federal Reentry Project (FRP) recently served as a panelist at the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law’s Young Justice Professional Program in San Francisco. Wyatt’s panel focused on best practices in collaborative criminal courts and included Karen Fletcher, San Francisco’s Chief of Adult Probation, and the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California.
During the panel presentation, Wyatt discussed the value of collaborative courts and explained how CJCJ’s Federal Reentry Project provides vital reentry services and intensive case management to those being released from federal prisons in the San Francisco Bay Area. In his role as Reentry Court Coordinator, Wyatt works closely with FRP clients and community-based providers to ensure a seamless transition out of federal facilities and into needed services.
The conference provided a unique opportunity for collaboration among innovators and leaders in the field of criminal justice. Reflecting on the experience, Wyatt said, “We were able to share ideas from state, federal, and international agencies about how to address addiction and reentry issues. Vancouver is doing amazing direct services work through probation, and San Francisco’s new LEAD program shows an alternative and therapeutic approach for our community. We only get better by learning from one another.”
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Read about Wyatt’s work with the Federal Reentry Project »
CJCJ cosponsored bill clears legislative hurdlesSenate Bill 190, co-sponsored by CJCJ, passes the California Senate with bipartisan support and is now moving through the Assembly.
This legislative session, CJCJ’s policy team is partnering with researchers and advocates from across California to cosponsor Senate Bill (SB) 190, which will put an end to the fees charged to families of justice-involved youth.
In many California counties, families are billed for their child’s legal representation, detention in a juvenile hall or camp, electronic monitoring, probation supervision, and drug testing. These fees can quickly add up to thousands of dollars, penalizing already vulnerable families. The burden of juvenile administrative fees can strain relationships and make it more difficult for young people to get the support and investment they need to stay on track.
In June, the California State Senate voted overwhelmingly in support of SB 190, with 36 out of 40 Senators casting an “aye” vote. Since then, the bill has moved to the California State Assembly where it continues to receive strong bi-partisan support. Most recently, SB 190 passed the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, bringing it one step closer to becoming law.
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