In this issue:
- CJCJ tours California’s youth correctional facilities
- Policy staff serves on Proposition 64 investments committee
- Help strengthen families and support communities this holiday season
CJCJ and partners tour California’s youth correctional facilities
As part of an ongoing monitoring effort, CJCJ and policy partners examine conditions at California’s Division of Juvenile Justice facilities.
CJCJ and partners tour DJJ facilities in Stockton, CA.
This fall, CJCJ organized tours of California’s Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to inform policymakers, youth advocates, and service providers about conditions at the state facilities. These tours serve as part of CJCJ’s ongoing efforts to highlight the realities of youth incarceration.
California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo accompanied CJCJ and others on a tour of the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility in September. Additional stakeholders, including representatives from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, participated in a tour of the N.A. Chaderjian and O.H. Close youth correctional facilities this November.
During the tours, visitors raised concerns with administrators regarding the prevalence of isolation and violence at DJJ alongside poor living conditions. Youth graciously spoke with visitors about their experiences in the facilities. They also shared their vision for how to support other young people and strengthen community safety. These conversations helped center youth as the focus of this visit, since their voices matter the most.
CJCJ appreciates the youth, administrators, policy partners, and advocates who participated in these tours and shared their expertise throughout the process.
Learn more about conditions at California’s Division of Juvenile Justice »
Policy staff serves on Proposition 64 investments committee
CJCJ advocates for using state marijuana funds to support healthy and safe communities across California.
CJCJ’s Renee Menart speaks before the BSCC Board.
California stands as one of ten states that have legalized recreational use of marijuana amid a growing effort to reduce the impacts of incarceration. Proposition 64 (2016) the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act provides an opportunity for the state to move away from punitive responses toward better supports for individuals and communities.
Since the passage of Proposition 64, hundreds of millions of state dollars are now being distributed to support its implementation. A powerful state agency, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), is responsible for administering nearly $25 million of these funds through a committee process.
CJCJ Communications and Policy Analyst Renee Menart serves on the committee to give voice to community members and organizations that are often left out of these critical decision-making processes. Renee and fellow committee members help direct the statewide distribution of Proposition 64 Public Health & Safety Grant funds, which will prioritize youth development and community needs associated with the legalization of marijuana.
Learn more about CJCJ’s policy analysis »
Help strengthen families and support communities this holiday season
This holiday season, donations will support CJCJ in creating positive change through community-based projects.
CJCJ staff come together with a potluck to kick off the holiday season!
CJCJ is dedicated to supporting justice-involved young people and adults through community-based services and policy advocacy with the goal of reducing society’s reliance on incarceration as a solution to social problems. Through these programs, CJCJ provides the necessary support needed to heal, rebuild, and strengthen family relationships.
This #GivingTuesday, we asked that you strengthen our continued impact by contributing to CJCJ’s work. Now, at the start of the holiday season, your gift would provide youth and families the resources they need for a fruitful new year.
Your donation will fund community-based services such as Cameo House, which serves as a residential alternative sentencing program for homeless women and their children. Additionally, you will empower CJCJ’s policy research and advocacy that make California neighborhoods healthier, safer, and stronger.
Make a tax-deductible donation to CJCJ’s community programs today »
CJCJ IS HIRING:
- Case Manager, Full-Time, CJCJ Cameo House Program
- Policy Analyst, Full-Time, Policy and Communications Department
- Residential Support Staff, Swing/Graveyard Shifts, Part-Time, CJCJ Cameo House Program
- Residential Support Staff, Holidays/On-Call, Part-Time, CJCJ Cameo House Program