A learning cohort that seeks to reimagine youth justice systems in the Bay Area.
Building on the opportunities generated by recent statewide and local reforms in our juvenile justice systems, Journey to Justice seeks to strengthen relationships among community and county stakeholders in Alameda and San Francisco counties, create space for imagination and exploration, and, ultimately, lead to a shared commitment to action among participants.
What is Journey to Justice?
Journey to Justice is a six-month learning program designed for Bay Area system leaders, advocates, and community partners working to transform the region’s juvenile justice systems. The program will immerse participants in restorative-centered youth justice practices, with the highlight being a week of travel to New Zealand where they will unearth what’s possible beyond the strictures of their everyday work.
The program is designed to accomplish the following:
Why New Zealand?
A model for community oriented and culturally responsive approach, New Zealand’s youth justice system is steeped in long-held cultural practices that belong to the Māori people. The use of restorative justice, which has been exported from New Zealand to many Western countries, originated with the Māori people, and New Zealand has spent decades adapting its youth justice system to incorporate the practices that divert youth from detention, leaning heavily on restorative principles through every touchpoint youth have with the legal system.
Cohort Supporters and Participants
We are grateful to the San Francisco Foundation, Akonadi Foundation, California Wellness Foundation, and the California Funders for Boys and Men of Color (CFBMoC) in partnering with us to bring this effort to life.
Cohort participants include cross-sector leaders and experts across the justice system, youth justice and community advocates, and community service providers including the following:
Chief Katherine Miller, San Francisco Juvenile Probation; Chief Bill Scott, San Francisco Police Department; Julia Cervantes, Managing Attorney, Juvenile Division, San Francisco District Attorney's Office; Emily Goldman, Managing Attorney, San Francisco Public Defender's Office; Sherrice Dorsey, Acting Executive Director, San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and their Families; Kisai Henriquez, Director of Youth Justice, Huckleberry Youth Programs; Dan Macallair, Executive Director, Center for Juvenile and Criminal Justice
Supervisor Elisa Marquez, Alameda County Board of Supervisors; Chief Brian Ford, Alameda County Probation; Alphonso Mance, Chief, Juvenile Division, Alameda County Public Defender's Office; April Smith, Chief, Juvenile Division, Alameda County District Attorney's Office; Deputy Chief Fred Shavies, Oakland Police Department; Vamsey Palagummi, Commissioner, Alameda County Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Commission; Nicole Lee, Executive Director, Urban Peace Movement
Meredith Desautels, Directing Attorney, Youth Law Center; Julia Arroyo, Executive Director, Young Women's Freedom Center; Alex Volpe, Executive Director, Beloved Village; Hilary Bass, Justice Reform Program Manager, National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform
Trip Updates and Reflections
Updates and news about the cohort, and reflections from our participants.
January 13, 2025
Reimagining the Youth Justice System: A Journey Across Cultures, Sectors, and Within Ourselves
Real change requires imagination, power, and solutions that come from leaders who, despite differences in perspective or experience, can work together to create more equitable systems, institutions, and communities.
Resources
Information and background about restorative justice, the youth justice model in New Zealand, and developments in the field.
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Photo Credits
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