April is Second Chance Month. At this time in history, it is critical for us to stay the course on Youth Justice systems progress. Diverting children and youth from formal justice systems is a sound public safety and youth justice practice. These practices are supported by research and data. Most youth will outgrow minor illegal behavior that is common to adolescence. For others, we know that community-based interventions that include individualized services, if needed, to address the root causes, such as traumatic adverse childhood experiences, combined with Restorative Justice programs that provide opportunities to repair harm, is often the only form of accountability that a child or youth will need to set them on a path of no return to the youth justice system.
As a Superior Court Judge for twenty-two years, I learned that children and youth who commit low level law violations don’t need to spend time incarcerated, or in the courtroom, to teach them a lesson because it teaches them the wrong lesson. That lesson would be that if you make a bad choice that impacts yourself or another person and violates the law, you will be taken from your home, your pets, your peers, your parents, your siblings, and your school and be placed in a juvenile detention cell. You may have to stay there for an unknown period, and you will feel labeled as a criminal by a system that treats you more like an adult than an adolescent with a high capacity for change. Then at some point, possibly weeks or months after the arrest, a judge will make lots of court orders that you must follow for months or years until someone in authority (that you do not know) is satisfied that you learned your lesson. This is hardly a swift response and does not promote accountability. Studies show that this method has a profound negative impact on a child in the form of learning loss, loss of positive peer groups, self-esteem, and potentially years of stigma (see the two comprehensive articles on youth diversion produced by the Sentencing Project). Many kids cannot get back on track from the trauma even a brief incarceration causes and will spend the rest of their childhood feeling embarrassed, different and outcasted. Alternatively, studies also show that the encounter with a police officer, a prevention loss officer at the store, a parent, teacher, a friends’ parents, coupled with guidance for how to repair the harm done, is often all the intervention that is needed. That youth will never offend again in most cases. Probation does use diversion, and many referrals are out of custody and appropriately dismissed at intake. However, diversion research says that diversion is underutilized, especially for youth of color. We are not taking advantage of community-based agencies who are best suited to support young people in their communities. My hope is that during this Second Chance Month that we focus on how we can help kids learn the lessons that they need to learn during their adolescence when their adolescent behavior gets them into trouble that are compassionate and age appropriate. Recognizing that most youth who do enter the formal Youth Justice System are Black, Brown and Native Youth, we must do our best as a community to make sure that all children have the chance to grow up and to learn important lessons without being arrested, locked up in a Juvenile Hall, and stigmatized for the remainder of their childhood and even in some cases, their lives.
Judge Katherine Lucero (ret.) Director
Office of Youth and Community Restoration California Health & Human Services Agency
Voices of Youth Justice: Literacy Intervention Pilot Program Sets San Diego Students Up for Success
“There’s a big, beautiful world out there—they just need the tools to be a part of it.” —Judge Ana España, presiding judge for the San Diego Juvenile Court
In San Diego, OYCR’s 30-day Juvenile Court School Literacy Intervention pilot program is helping youth who are systems-involved develop essential reading and writing skills for a brighter future. Launched in 2024, the program identifies literacy gaps and provides tailored learning plans to support students. The pilot’s success, which led to students advancing to higher literacy levels, underscores the importance of empowering youth to succeed academically and professionally.
OYCR is now expanding this initiative to additional counties, continuing its mission to break down barriers to education. Learn more about this transformative pilot program on the OYCR blog.
News and Updates
Important Upcoming Deadlines
This is a reminder that County’s Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant (JJRBG) plan and JJCPA/YOBG Annual Plan are due to OYCR by May 1, 2025.
Recently OYCR’s Education Expert Dr. Michael Massa was a guest in Professor Tania Mejia-O’Donnell’s Criminal Justice 321 – Juvenile Justice class at San Diego State University. Dr. Massa’s Educational Health Presentation covered topics such as the shift in Juvenile Justice post SB 823, OYCR’s role and efforts around educational health. The presentation was well-received. Student feedback included:
“It was refreshing to hear from someone who genuinely sees kids as kids—needing structure and belief in themselves rather than just discipline.”
“His talk was eye-opening because he introduced a part of the juvenile justice system that I had never really considered before. It also underscored the lack of resources available to these kids—resources that, if they had access to earlier, might have kept them out of the system in the first place.”
"Growing up in a marginalized community, I’ve seen firsthand how struggles related to family, socioeconomic status, or the justice system can push young people away from school, and I strongly believe that education can provide stability and keep youth from falling into harmful cycles.”
OYCR Subject Matter Experts are available for technical assistance including presentations virtually and in-person. Reach out to oycr@chhs.ca.gov for more information and to schedule.
Announcement of Awardees for the Transforming Youth Justice – Ending Girls Incarceration Initiative
Alongside OYCR and The Vera Institute of Justice, The Center at Sierra Health Foundation is thrilled to announce the awarding of more than $3.6 million to five community-based organizations in four counties (Sacramento, Imperial, San Diego and Los Angeles) to engage in Transform Youth Justice’s Ending Girls Incarceration (EGI) Initiative. These community-based organizations will work closely with their county’s Probation Department, Vera Institute of Justice and OYCR to reduce and ultimately eliminate the number of girls and gender expansive youth incarcerated in the juvenile justice system. Their work will span 24 months and address the disparities that drive girls’ incarceration in the four selected counties, as an urgent matter of race and gender equity. Learn more about the program and our new partners. The Center's EGI Initiative is operated under contract with OYCR in partnership with the Vera Institute of Justice.
Funded Partners
FosterHope Sacramento
Award amount: $450,000
Hooked on Fishing not on Violence
Award Amount: $550,000
Serving Sacramento County
Rite of Passage Adolescent Treatment Centers and Schools, Inc.
Award amount: $673,380
Serving Imperial County
San Diego Youth Services
Award amount: $1,000,000
Serving San Diego County
Young Women’s Freedom Center
Award amount: $1,000,000
Serving Los Angeles County
Impacting Foundational Literacy in the Juvenile Justice System: It Truly Is Never Too Late
On March 8th, OYCR Education Expert Dr. Michael Massa and Collaborative Classroom Manager of Educational Partnerships Stacy Storm hosted a Table Talk at the Literacy and Justice for All Symposium. Their talk focused on how OYCR partnered with Collaborative Classroom to improve literacy outcomes through targeted SIPPS instruction. The goal was to quickly identify students lacking foundational literacy skills and immediately place them in instruction at their appropriate developmental level. The Field Study Project began with Dr. Massa working closely with community partners, County Office of Education leaders, and Facility Leaders to better understand the unique challenges within their environment. This collaboration resulted in the creation of a Professional Learning Plan tailored to meet their specific needs, with careful attention to necessary accommodations. Through ongoing training, coaching, and community meetings, real-time adjustments were made to improve student success. This Field Study is a powerful example of meeting struggling readers where they are, demonstrating the transformative impact of collaboration, dedication, and the belief that it is never too late to unlock the doors to literacy.
Upcoming Webinars, Meetings & Events
OYCR Youth Justice Action Webinar Series
Tuesday, April 15th from Noon to 2 PM PDT
La Cultura Cura Overview: Transformational Health and Healing
The La Cultura Cura presentation will provide an overview of the impact that personal, familial, systemic and generational trauma has on system impacted youth and the importance of culturally based health and healing in their recovery and transformation.
Understanding the Stepping Home Model If you missed this March’s webinar, it explored the Stepping Home Model, a framework of best practices designed to support justice-involved youth transitioning from Secure Youth Treatment Facilities to Less Restrictive Programs. Speakers discuss the model’s goals and purpose, key elements, and provide an overview of the accompanying briefs. View it and other past webinars now.
