Juvenile Justice Reform/Justice2Jobs
Juvenile Justice Reform
In 2020, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 823, a new law that will lead to the closure of youth prisons in California and transfer all responsibility for youth people involved in the justice system to local counties. Under SB 823, Sacramento County must create a Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council Subcommittee, which will have the responsibility of developing the county's implementation plan and will make recommendations for programming that will be available to youth. In addition, there will be the opportunity for our county to receive significant new funding from the state.
Youth Forward is currently coordinating an effort with Sac Kids First partners to shape the implementation of SB 823 here in Sacramento County. We would like to see this new system be centered on a partnership between Probation and youth-serving community-based organizations, with a primary focus on supporting prevention and safe re-entry. We believe that a significant amount of the new funding received by Sacramento County should be invested in youth-serving organizations that are best equipped to help young people transition out of the juvenile justice system back into the local community. We would also like to see the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council seek wider community/youth involvement, particularly the involvement of system-impacted youth and young adults, when crafting our county's implementation plan.
Justice2Jobs
In 2018, Youth Forward led an effort with city and county officials that led to the expungement of criminal records for past marijuana convictions of over 5,000 Sacramentans. From that effort grew the Justice2Jobs Coalition, a community power-building project that rejects criminal punishment and bureaucracy and advocates for the creation of humane systems. We convene and catalyze Sacramento region’s criminal legal, economic and anti-criminalizing policy reform community. We use criminal records repair and other restorative practices to center the voices of those with lived experience. We look at justice systemically—excavate and report facts, interrogate processes, and create solutions for healthy, equitable, and inclusive neighborhoods.
In 2020, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 823, a new law that will lead to the closure of youth prisons in California and transfer all responsibility for youth people involved in the justice system to local counties. Under SB 823, Sacramento County must create a Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council Subcommittee, which will have the responsibility of developing the county's implementation plan and will make recommendations for programming that will be available to youth. In addition, there will be the opportunity for our county to receive significant new funding from the state.
Youth Forward is currently coordinating an effort with Sac Kids First partners to shape the implementation of SB 823 here in Sacramento County. We would like to see this new system be centered on a partnership between Probation and youth-serving community-based organizations, with a primary focus on supporting prevention and safe re-entry. We believe that a significant amount of the new funding received by Sacramento County should be invested in youth-serving organizations that are best equipped to help young people transition out of the juvenile justice system back into the local community. We would also like to see the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council seek wider community/youth involvement, particularly the involvement of system-impacted youth and young adults, when crafting our county's implementation plan.
Justice2Jobs
In 2018, Youth Forward led an effort with city and county officials that led to the expungement of criminal records for past marijuana convictions of over 5,000 Sacramentans. From that effort grew the Justice2Jobs Coalition, a community power-building project that rejects criminal punishment and bureaucracy and advocates for the creation of humane systems. We convene and catalyze Sacramento region’s criminal legal, economic and anti-criminalizing policy reform community. We use criminal records repair and other restorative practices to center the voices of those with lived experience. We look at justice systemically—excavate and report facts, interrogate processes, and create solutions for healthy, equitable, and inclusive neighborhoods.