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In this issue:

  • CJCJ and Northern Calif. Service League remember Jose Aguilar
  • CJCJ offices expand into San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood
  • This holiday season, support alternatives to mass incarceration
CJCJ and Northern Calif. Service League remember Jose Aguilar

Board Member and life-long justice advocate, Jose Aguilar, was dedicated to improving his community

CJCJ, which merged with the Northern California Service League (NCSL), honors and celebrates the life of Jose Aguilar, who served as an NCSL Board Member for 15 years. Jose passed away in October 2016

Jose was a life-long public servant and resident of San Francisco. After arriving in the United States as a child, Jose and his mother moved to San Francisco where he resided for over 60 years. He attended the University of San Francisco, graduated from the USF Law School, and worked at La Raza Centro Legal and the Mission Community Legal Defense providing legal services to low-income clients. 

Shirley Melnicoe, former NCSL Executive Director, said it was a great privilege and honor to have known and worked with Jose. Jose was an active and dedicated Board member and provided strong and steady leadership to further the mission of NCSL. He was thoughtful and kind, and always provided a judicious perspective to many discussions. He brought his understanding and compassion for the under-served while helping to deliberate the various issues that were pertinent to shaping the organization. Jose’s calm demeanor and the twinkle in his eyes when he joked shall be missed, but he will forever be remembered as making a mark in all of our lives.”

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CJCJ offices expand into San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood

CJCJ received a grant from the City of San Francisco to renovate the offices on the ground floors of Cameo House

This year, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) awarded CJCJ funding to assist with office renovations at Cameo House, thereby upgrading and increasing our capacity to delivery effective services. Located in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood, Cameo House is a residential alternative sentencing program for homeless women with children that is owned and operated by CJCJ.

This grant is part of a San Francisco initiative to assist nonprofits in establishing or upgrading long-term office space to ensure that we may continue to permanently support city residents in need. This funding will increase CJCJ’s ability to provide crucial programming and services to justice-involved people locally and statewide. 

The Cameo House building was originally constructed in 1911 and transitioned through several different careers over the last century. CJCJ is adding its service to San Francisco’s justice-involved residents to the building’s rich history. Our dedicated staff are excited to increase our capacity to continue assisting our community! 

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This holiday season, support alternatives to mass incarceration

During the season of giving, we at CJCJ hope you will consider making a donation to support our programs and the people we serve

In the weeks following Election Day, CJCJ remains as committed to justice reform as we were at our founding in 1985. We believe our communities are safer when we invest in those impacted by violence, trauma, and socio-economic disparities. 

In pursuit of our mission to reduce society’s reliance on incarceration as a solution to social problems, CJCJ has 14 model direct service programs that cater to both adult and juvenile offenders at various stages of the justice system. CJCJ services ensure that justice-involved people receive the crucial support they need to get back on their feet, and strive to develop community-based solutions for safer neighborhoods. CJCJ’s success has been in designing and advocating for innovative practices that move beyond prevailing political ideologies and biases, to offer services that improve lives. 

CJCJ has worked for progress whether there was a Democrat or a Republican in the White House. We have accomplished a lot this past year but now, more than ever, there is much more work to be done. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to CJCJ today, and help us continue to keep families together and build strong, safe communities. 

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Learn more about CJCJ’s programs and services »

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