Transforming California’s approach to youth justice demands persistence. The challenges are complex, progress can be incremental, and the stakes are high. This work impacts not only the well-being and futures of young people in the system, but also the health of the communities they belong to. 

Yet even with challenges, there is an abundance of hope driving this work forward. That hope shows up in young people who bring wisdom and leadership into every room, in families and communities who stay connected, and in programs and partnerships that help youth succeed in school, work, and life. It shows up when lived experience is centered, resources reach those closest to the work, and systems begin to respond with care rather than punishment. 

We spoke with youth justice leaders, practitioners, and other partners of the Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR) about what gives them hope for the future of youth justice in California. Their reflections offer a grounded reminder that progress toward a more humane, equitable, and effective youth justice system is real — and that when young people are supported and believed in, they can create positive outcomes. 

Carlos Cervantes — Director of Community and Reentry Partnerships at the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC; recipient of OYCR’s Family Engagement Services Pilot Grant in 2022) 

“My hope comes from making sure that youth don’t go through the system that I went through,” Carlos Cervantes says. 

He points to the long-lasting harm caused by mass incarceration—particularly in marginalized communities—and the urgency of creating alternatives. “What I went through has a lifelong effect. Mass incarceration targets communities of color, low-income communities, and communities that have experienced violence, drugs, and gangs.” 

Carlos sees community-based support as the path forward. “When we have communities and a broader spectrum of services and resources, youth don’t have to go through what I went through.” 

Angeles Zaragoza — Less Restrictive Programs Subject Matter Expert at OYCR; former Deputy Executive Director of Youth Justice Programs at Los Angeles Room & Board; former youth public defender 

For Angeles Zaragoza, hope arrives in her inbox — in photos of young people holding certificates, dressed in caps and gowns, or testifying before elected officials at the state capitol. 

“The kids. The youth,” she says simply. “Seeing that is really everything to me.” 

She is candid about how easy it can be to feel overwhelmed by the scale of what these young people face — racial disparities, socioeconomic barriers, systems that can feel broken in fundamental ways. But she keeps coming back to the moments when young people break through all of it. 

“To see them come to that realization that they’re more than their worst day of their life, and that there are resources within this system to help them get to where they want to be — to see that kind of turnaround in these young people is the most beautiful thing ever.” 

Reid — Member of OYCR’s Youth Advisory Board 

Reid’s hope for the future of youth justice comes from lived experience and a clear-eyed belief that systems must fundamentally change — and that communities themselves hold the answers. 

“There’s something that we could be doing as a community and as our own individual counties better,” he said. “My hope is that we ultimately put an end to juvenile justice. Having individuals, especially young individuals, locked up is not the right idea.” 

He emphasizes that young people are often navigating unmet needs in their communities, and that meaningful change requires investing in prevention, care, and connection outside of the justice system. 

Alfred Melbourne — Founder and Director of Three Sisters Gardens (recipient of two-year grant funding as part of OYCR’s CBO Capacity Building Initiative in 2024) 

“The youth are the future. They’re our future leaders,” Alfred Melbourne says. 

For Alfred, support for young people is the difference between survival and possibility. “If we give them the support that they need, they won’t just survive — they’ll thrive and create a better environment, a better place for all of us to live.” 

He believes collective care is the key. “Every youth in the world is all of ours. If we give them the support they need, they’ll do amazing things.” 

Elizabeth Calvin — Director of Youth Justice in Human Rights Watch’s Children’s Rights Division; Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law 

Elizabeth Calvin also finds hope in the leadership of young people — and in those who listen to them.  

As California transitioned away from state-run youth justice facilities, Calvin and a coalition of advocates worked directly with youth to shape California’s Youth Bill of Rights, ensuring that the voices of those impacted by the system defined the protections they needed most. 

“It’s really inspiring to see young leaders who are stepping up and saying, ‘I’m going to do what it takes to make sure that young people behind me don’t have this experience.’” 

She hopes the Youth Bill of Rights will continue to evolve, shaped by the same voices that brought it to life. 

Daniel Hernandez — Chief Probation Officer of the Orange County Probation Department 

For Chief Daniel Hernandez, hope is something he gets to witness in real time. 

Since the passage of SB 823, Orange County has built programs and approaches that simply didn’t exist before — and the results are visible. “We’re seeing these youth who would have potentially gone to the state system, not have had great outcomes, and they’re getting accepted to four-year universities in our presence.” 

Those moments carry weight well beyond the individual. “It’s transformation, it’s success, it’s happiness for that youth and that family, and it’s also a win for the community.” 

Hernandez also sees hope in the ongoing work of building understanding across sectors — helping non-system partners grasp what actually drives lasting change. “We have to educate on what really works and why we do what we do.” For him, openness to measuring success and sharing what the evidence shows is part of how the field moves forward together. 

Taken together, these reflections tell a clear story: hope in California’s youth justice ecosystem is not theoretical — it’s practiced every day. It lives in young people who refuse to be defined by their worst moments, in communities that step in to create sustainable safety nets, in government partners who work to empower those communities, and in leaders who are committed to building something better, together.  

At a time when the direction of youth justice policy continues to be shaped and debated, this work underscores what is possible when positive youth development, accountability, and community-based support are prioritized. Through OYCR’s investment in community-based organizations, efforts to center lived experience, initiatives to strengthen families, and programs that help systems grow alongside the young people they serve; progress is not only sustained — it continues to deepen.