In this issue:
- CJCJ Executive Director sits on task force to close SF juvenile hall
- California must move toward local alternatives to youth incarceration
- Cameo House promotes civic engagement with a voter education workshop
CJCJ Executive Director sits on task force to close SF juvenile hall
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has selected CJCJ Executive Director to serve on a special task force for the county’s juvenile hall closure.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has appointed Daniel Macallair, Executive Director of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, to a 15-person special task force to plan the closure of San Francisco’s juvenile hall. The Board created this workgroup given their recent decision to reform the county’s juvenile justice system and close its juvenile hall by the end of 2021.
Daniel Macallair is a nationally-recognized expert on juvenile justice reform. With decades of expertise in the development of detention alternatives and in-depth knowledge of San Francisco’s juvenile justice system, Mr. Macallair will perform a lead role in re-imagining a local system that will better support the county’s youth.
He will join a group of city officials, union leaders, community representatives, and justice-involved young people to reform the city’s juvenile justice system. They are tasked with implementing a comprehensive initiative, which will transfer resources from youth detention to families and communities. This initiative is the first in the nation and will serve as a model of 21st century juvenile justice reform.
Find out more about San Francisco’s plan to close juvenile hall»
California must move toward local alternatives to youth incarceration
CJCJ and partners push for transformative juvenile justice reform in California through SB 284 the Keep Youth Closer to Home Act .
Earlier this month, California failed to adopt Senate Bill (SB) 284, the Keep Youth Closer to Home Act. The bill, which passed through the legislature with broad support, would have created an incentive for counties to keep justice-involved youth out of dangerous Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) facilities and closer to their communities.
Since the 1960s, our state has used financial incentives to manage our state-level population and protect youth from county practices relying heavily on the state system given its low cost. SB 284 aligned with this precedent by supporting local innovations that provide what DJJ cannot: close, regular contact with loved ones and support systems.
CJCJ thanks the dozens of organizations and individuals who shared support for SB 284 and our state’s youth. In particular, we honor the leadership and collaboration of Senator Jim Beall, the bill’s author, and fellow co-sponsors in this critical effort: Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), Community Works, Motivating Individual Leadership for Public Advancement (MILPA), and Youth Justice Coalition (YJC).
We will continue our work together with the governor’s office and state leaders to support local alternatives to youth incarceration.
Find out more about Senate Bill 284 »
Cameo House promotes civic engagement with voter education workshop
CJCJ’s Cameo House program participants meet with the San Francisco Department of Elections to learn about local ballot measures.
As Election Day nears, representatives from the San Francisco Department of Elections facilitated a voter education workshop for participants in CJCJ’s Cameo House program, an alternative sentencing opportunity for homeless justice-involved women and their children.
The workshop emphasized the voting rights that individuals have at various points in the justice process. Notably, as Cameo participants learned, California residents with records can vote as long as they are not currently in prison or on parole for a felony conviction. The workshop included discussion of the voter registration process and important issues on the upcoming ballot.
CJCJ’s Cameo House program serves women and their families through a wide range of supports including workshops focused on health, personal development, parenting support, and civic engagement. Moving forward, Cameo House will continue to collaborate with CJCJ’s policy and communications staff to ensure that program participants are heard within the democratic process.
Find out more about CJCJ’s Cameo House program »
CJCJ IS HIRING:- Case Manager, Cameo House Program
- Policy Analyst, Policy and Communications Department
- Residential Support Staff, Part-Time/On-Call, Cameo House Program