Voices of Youth Justice
Voices of Youth Justice: Listening and Centering Culture and Community for Tribal Youth
Share: Across California, tribal youth navigate child welfare and justice systems that were not designed with their cultures, histories, or communities in mind. The state is home to more than 660,000 Native American residents—the most of any state in the nation—and...
Voices of Youth Justice: For Youth Who Are Incarcerated, Staying Connected to Family Matters
Share: Carlos Cervantes still remembers what it felt like to be a teenager in a cell, navigating the justice system as a young person. At 16, he was incarcerated at a time when visiting with family usually came with metal detectors, shackles, or speaking...
Voices of Youth Justice: Here’s What Young People and Research Tell Us
Share: It should not take an arrest for us to invest in the safety and success of our youth. However, when we spoke to young people across California, a powerful pattern emerged: real support and services often only came after they entered the court...
Voices of Youth Justice: A Case Study Two Years Post-DJJ Closure
Share: “I’m so proud of our state. I’m so proud of all the stakeholders here… It’s the energy, radiance, warmth, and compassion that we have in California that is leading the entire United States in this movement.” —Dr. Renford Reese, Prison Education Project Founder...
Mistakes Are a Normal Part of Growing Up
Share: The report “Please Don’t Give Up on Us: Stories From Children and Youth Incarcerated in California” was commissioned by the Office of Youth and Community Restoration. The report explores youth justice through the perspectives of young people who are or have...
Voices of Youth Justice: A Q&A with Madera County Youth Manuel Hernandez
As California embraces a rehabilitative approach to youth justice, it’s essential to center the voices of young people with lived experience in the system. In this Q&A, 19-year-old Manuel Hernandez—who was in Madera County’s juvenile detention facility at the time...
The Importance of Feeling Seen and Heard: Alexis J’s Journey
Share: “Young adults and teenagers, they get punished for not being heard…Instead of trying to understand us on an emotional and psychological level…we get punished by them telling us ‘you’re a bad kid.’” — Alexis J. Alexis’s experience of...
Why Youth Voices Matter: A Letter from the Director
Share: The Office of Youth and Community Restoration commissioned the report “Please Don’t Give Up on Us: Stories From Children and Youth Incarcerated in California” to center the voices of young people who have experienced incarceration. Through their stories, the...
Voices of Youth Justice: Alameda County Addresses Chronic Absenteeism at its Roots, Dramatically Lowers Rates
Share: “Why don’t you want to attend school?” The Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR) is encouraging county education offices and probation departments to ask students who are incarcerated this one very simple but often overlooked...
Voices of Youth Justice: A Q&A with Madera County Probation’s Assistant Chief Jose Pantoja
Share: The Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR)’s mission of providing comprehensive services for young people involved in the youth justice system relies on collaboration across various agencies. We talked to Madera County Assistant Chief Probation...