In this issue:
- CJCJ Celebrates Cameo House Funding Successes
- Uplifting Children’s Book by CJCJ Team Member Supports Families
- CJCJ Youth Program Cuts Serious Recidivism by Half
CJCJ Celebrates Cameo House Funding Successes
CJCJ’s Cameo House receives funding from the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office to continue supporting homeless, justice-involved women and their children.
Cameo House Celebration at City Hall
In San Francisco’s Mission District, you will find a bustling home with women and children enjoying meals, playing games, and relaxing together after a day of work or school. This is CJCJ’s Cameo House — a nurturing space serving homeless women involved in the justice system and their children. Thanks to the critical support of the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, Cameo House will continue serving these families.
Cameo House is a transitional home and alternative sentencing program that provides services and long-term stable housing for some of San Francisco’s most vulnerable community members. Earlier this year, the vital program experienced a sudden loss of funding. In the face of uncertainty, Cameo House’s motivated team worked together with CJCJ staff, local policymakers, and community partners to ensure the program’s continued positive impacts.
CJCJ’s Director of Cameo House Rebecca Jackson says, “Thank you to the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, San Francisco supervisors, and SF Safehouse for their support. Their willingness to extend a helping hand to Cameo House at this pivotal time helped to preserve this vital resource for women with children. We are so grateful for the continued support of our city and community partners.”
Find out more about CJCJ’s Cameo House »
Uplifting Children’s Book by CJCJ Team Member Supports Families
CJCJ team member creates heartwarming children’s book about a boy who heals with his family’s help while his mom is far from home.
Join author Renée Menart, CJCJ Communications and Policy Analyst, and community leaders for a hybrid book launch event on Sunday, November 7th (11am — 12:30pm PST) at Manny’s café in San Francisco or virtually as we celebrate the release of a new children’s book. Visit www.reneemenart.com for more information and updates.
This family-friendly event includes an entertaining book preview, children’s activity bags, and an insightful panel discussion! Register for the event to receive a video link for those who prefer to tune in virtually. In-person attendees must wear face masks and provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
Demetri Makes a Memory Quilt is a children’s picture book that tells the story of a young boy whose mom is in prison. With the help of his family, he embarks on a creative healing process and explores ways to connect with his mom. Inspired by the author’s career in early childhood literacy and community-based alternatives to incarceration, this story supports children’s development and helps reduce harmful stigma by opening up important discussions in families and communities.
The book is now available for paperback purchases and eBook pre-orders. Renee will be donating all royalties from book sales to organizations supporting families impacted by incarceration. All profits this month will support CJCJ’s Cameo House!
Learn more about Demetri Makes a Memory Quilt »
CJCJ Youth Program Cuts Serious Recidivism by Half
A recent independent evaluation of CJCJ’s Detention Diversion Advocacy Program finds the model effectively improves outcomes for high-needs youth.
According to an independent evaluation of CJCJ’s Detention Diversion Advocacy Program (DDAP), the longstanding model program proves extremely effective at reducing system involvement among high-needs youth. The evaluation compares outcomes for youth who participated in the program to similarly situated peers in San Francisco’s juvenile justice system. Youth who receive services through DDAP, an alternative to detention, are 56 percent less likely to be charged with another felony offense.
Since the 1990s, DDAP has provided intensive case management and comprehensive services for youth in their communities. DDAP was the first of its kind as an evidence-based, pre-adjudication diversion program. The program has since been replicated in major cities across the nation and was recognized by the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) as a model alternative to juvenile detention.
DDAP leverages community resources to ensure each youth’s success well beyond their participation in the program, as highlighted in a recent article by The Crime Report. Since CJCJ began the program, the DDAP model has helped stop the harmful cycle of incarceration for hundreds of youth and their families.
Read the Detention Diversion Advocacy Program (DDAP) evaluation »
CJCJ IS HIRING: