Members of CJCJ’s policy team were in attendance in March for the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color (ABMoC) policy briefing in Sacramento, California. We are proud to be one of the 200 community orgs that make up the ABMoC network. ABMoC focuses on uplifting boys and men of color, as well as their families and communities. Policy is one way we collectively address inequities, while also working as an alliance towards systems change and community investment.
Over 130 attendees came together from across the state to go over the 2025 policy priorities. Thank you to the organizers and expert panelists for an informative and inspiring event! There were multiple panels throughout the day made up of co-authors of bills as well as other community experts. to go over ABMoC policy priorities for 2025. These priorities fell into categories involving community safety and justice, youth leadership and justice, education equity, and healing together and gender justice. Included was a bill that CJCJ is currently co-sponsoring, SB 284 (Menjivar) The Supporting Healthy, Individually Focused Transition (SHIFT) Act. This bill ensures that the youth justice system prioritizes rehabilitation and the services, programs, and placements young people need to return to the community successfully. It also addresses gaps in existing law and delineates how courts and other stakeholders can effectively plan for a young person’s progress toward rehabilitation and reintegration, with the ultimate goal of reducing recidivism and helping youth flourish when they return home.
After the policy briefing, attendees split into teams and were able to speak directly to their legislators and their staff about the ABMoC policy priorities and goals. Thank you to our policy analyst Grecia Reséndez for taking lead on the team visits with legislators. And thank you to ABMoC for a powerful day of community, education, and advocacy.
CJCJ Attends the ABMoC Policy Briefing in Sacramento
You can see more photos from this event on our Instagram page. Learn more about our policy team, our research, and reporting here.