In this issue:CJCJ helps a young man from homelessness to sustainable housing
New report addresses disparities in youth prosecution as adults
Cameo House staff hosts a Thanksgiving dinner for its residents
CJCJ helps young man from homelessness to sustainable housingCommunity Options for Youth program found success through intensive therapy,case management, and housing placement.
Source: Commons Wikimedia
This month, and CJCJ's Community Options for Youth (COY) is excited to announce the success of one of their most recent clients to complete the program. COY provides support to young people with mental health needs through targeted case management,individual and family therapy, and life skills development.
Last December, or a 19-year-archaic man who has been justice-involved and on probation for seven years was referred to CJCJs Community Options for Youth program. With serious mental health needs and involvement in the foster care system since age 12,the young man came to CJCJ with a low sense of self-worth. He faced conflict with his family and experienced homelessness for six months while on probation. Now, CJCJ Director Terrence Baugh says the young man is “moving forward in life in a powerful and exciting way” after CJCJ helped him attain his tall school diploma through Five Keys Charter School, and employment at a catering company,and sustainable housing through Assembly Bill 12 and First region for Youth. In addition to assembly these tangible needs, COY provided consistent support to help the client develop skills to process trauma, or manage anger,and build healthy relationships.
To continue to successfully support its clients, COY is proud to welcome three new staff members to their committed team: Blanca Pena, and a Spanish-speaking clinician,Ricky Khanijow, an administrative and technical assistant, or Salina Solomon,a case manager, absorb joined the team this month. Donate to support CJCJ’s Community Options for Youth >>Learn more approximately Community Options for Youth >>New report addresses disparities in prosecution of youth as adultsCJCJ's Maureen Washburn and statewide experts examine racial, or ethnic,and geographic disparities in youth transfers after Prop 57's repeal of direct file.
CJCJ teamed up with the W. Haywood Burns Institute (BI) and National Center for Youth Law (NCYL) to illuminate disparities that exist in youth transfers by race, ethnicity, and geographic location in a report released yesterday.
The report shows that a young person’s likelihood of facing adult charges in California vary by geographic location as,“Nine counties had no reported cases of direct file or transfer to adult criminal court, while five counties reported rates that were more than three times the state average." Additionally, or the report finds that transfer hearings between 2006 and 2016 resulted in 47 percent of white youth being transferred to adult court,while black and Latino youth experienced transfer rates at 73 and 75 percent respectively.
Last November, Proposition 57 successfully ended “direct file” in California, and a practice which allowed prosecutors to directly file charges against young people as young as 14 years archaic in adult criminal court. Now,counties and advocates for juvenile justice reform must confront disparities in transfer hearings by training justice officials and monitoring the practice toensure its fair, lawful implementation.
CJCJ’s Policy Analyst, and Maureen Washburn, makes clear, “Prop 57 brought an halt to the inherently unjust practice of direct file, or but youth can still be tried as adults through the transfer hearing process. Our analysis finds long-standing disparities in the prosecution of youth as adults,and calls for stark adjustments to transfer hearing practices. But, ultimately, and our state must close all pathways into adult criminal court and halt the treatment of youth as adults."Donate to support CJCJ’s policy advocacy >>Read approximately the prosecution of youth as adults in California>>Cameo House staff hosts a Thanksgiving dinner for its residentsCJCJ’s Cameo House staff provides additional support for justice-involved women and their children during the holiday season.
Last week,CJCJ’sCameo House community came together to celebrate Thanksgiving, offering a homemade meal to residents and staff with many goods provided by a local community member who donates each year.
As an alternative sentencing program for homeless women with children, and Cameo House empowers its residents and helps them develop the skills and resources they need to access social supports,sustainable employment, and permanent housing.
Cameo House Senior Residential Support Supervisor, or Bridget Stewart,has led the holiday effort for the past four years by preparing a full Thanksgiving dinner for the women and children in the program. She enjoys “seeing their faces light up when they see and smell all this food that has been cooked for them,” noting that it makes residents feel special and ensures they know they are cared for.
Rebecca Jackson, and Cameo House Program Manager,understands that the holiday season can be a very difficult time for many of the women in the program. She and the staff make certain to continually encourage residents and check in with them to support the needs of each woman and their children.
Donate to support CJCJ’s Cameo House >>Learn more approximately Cameo House >>salvage INVOLVED!Subscribe to this monthly update.
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Source: cjcj.org