Restorative justice: Several high school students sit in a circle of chairs having a discussion

Breaking walls, building bridges: A call for restorative justice in school discipline

By |

Imagine waking up each morning with no hope for the day ahead, navigating a minefield of potential conflicts with your body on high alert. That was my reality as a marginalized youth — misunderstood, labeled as a troublemaker and cast out without a chance to reconcile and evolve. Growing up with anxiety in school is an all-too-common experience that perpetuates a cycle of fear and resentment. It’s time to acknowledge and address this narrative that adversely affects our youth’s learning experiences and the education system. Restorative justice programs are part of the solution.

CA juvenile system: Multicolored illustration of around 25 yung faces behind vertical bars

Opinion: A Case for Better Funding of California’s Community Alternatives to Juvenile Detention and Probation

By |

Supporters of the juvenile justice status quo wrongly claim that community-based organizations are not yet strong enough to serve all youth who may otherwise cycle through juvenile courts, detention centers and on and off parole rosters. Ideally, opponents to reform say, youth would be served by nonprofits close to home, but that cannot happen until enough suitable nonprofits are available. This line of thinking ignores the community-based direct services already offered in many areas, from life coaching in Oakland to legal support in Los Angeles. Failing to adequately support these existing community services keeps us stuck in a cycle of waiting. Instead of waiting for community-based organizations to grow above and beyond their present capacities, how about we actually do the work required for their growth?

Young woman speaking at lectern

Equipping Youth to Be Advocates Cannot Be Optional, Baltimore Experience Shows

By |

I vividly remember the Maryland State Senate hearings on Feb. 1, 2018. I was hardly three weeks into my first legislative session, preparing to give my first-ever testimony against a bill egregious to youth justice reform, while simultaneously teaching myself how one even becomes an “Annapolis advocate.”

lifers: Young woman looking sad holding onto the prison bars

Brenda Died in Prison, But We Lifers, Long-termers Will Keep Her Legacy Alive

By |

Very recently, Brenda “Sonny” Baker died of cancer. It was a coup de grace many of us incarcerated women at the State Correctional Institution in Muncy, Pa., did not see coming — in fact, few of us even knew the severity of her illness. Brenda bravely kept the grisly details under wraps so that she could put on a courageous front for the women she was serving time with; sparing herself from what she deemed to be unnecessary pity and attention.

LGBTQ: closeup of the handcuffed hands of a young man patterned as the gay pride flag

LGBTQ Youth in Facilities Need Support, Resources When Coming Out

By |

Over the last couple of years, laws have been established to protect LGBTQ youth. Those laws should be upheld inside and outside any facility. It’s not a conversation that many people have, which is the reason I decided to write this. I chose to organize my thoughts in a Q&A format. My fellow Youth Council member, Aazia-Marie Ross, developed the questions.

I Was a Kid in Solitary Confinement

By |

My young parents didn’t have the skill sets to properly raise me, which at a young age caused me to search for acceptance in other places. I began running away at the age of 13 and quickly got heavily involved in drug use.

Berkeley Bound

By |

I remember the paralyzing fear I felt when I realized I was never going home to my father again. I would never have a normal childhood. But my love for reading saved my life. Reading became my way out.

Make My President Black Again

By |

It wasn’t until I had gotten locked up at the age of 18 that I began to willingly learn and deeply care about governmental law and politics. If you’d asked me anything about politics back in my high school days, I would’ve rudely responded with an answer expressing love only for my gang.