Overview Cameo House Community Options for Youth (COY) Detention Diversion Advocacy Program (DDAP) Expert Witness, Court Navigation, & Sentencing Mitigation Services Juvenile Collaborative Reentry Unit (JCRU) No Violence Alliance (NoVA) Overview Technical Assistance California Sentencing Institute Next Generation Fellowship Legislation Transparency & Accountability

In this issue:

Next Generation Fellows learn together in the great outdoors

The second session of the Next Generation Fellowship provides opportunities to overcome challenges, set personal goals, and connect with one another.

NGF Fellows work together to walk a tightrope over thirty feet in the air.

As part of the second annual Next Generation Fellowship (NGF), a training for justice-involved leaders launched by CJCJ and our partners at Motivating Individual Leadership for Public Advancement (MILPA), fifteen emerging leaders had the opportunity to come together in Santa Cruz this month.

The NGF 2018 program is a six-day training spread across three sessions. After convening in Sacramento this summer, where fellows participated in legislative meetings with key staff from the California Legislature, NGF took to the great outdoors with the hospitality of the Happy Valley Conference Center in Santa Cruz. Nestled among the redwoods, fellows participated in team-building exercises and developed their understanding of policy advocacy through a series of interactive presentations with experts in the field.

NGF Fellows, Terah Lawyer and Danny Thongsy, support their team member by holding tight to their rope.

The session featured a ropes course that brought together concepts of community and movement-building. The high ropes course challenged fellows to garner their inner strength and support one another as they climbed farther than many imagined at the beginning of the day. Throughout the course, fellows were filled with laughter and newfound confidence as they pushed beyond their comfort zones together.

The NGF 2018 program will conclude in Los Angeles this coming January, where fellows will build upon their understanding of cultural healing and policy advocacy to transform community health, safety, and wellness.

Learn more about CJCJ and MILPA’s Next Generation Fellowship »

Learn more from the perspectives of former NGF Fellows »

CJCJ prepares for Election Day with a voting workshop at Cameo House

Cameo House participants met with San Francisco Department of Elections representatives to learn about current ballot initiatives.

A representative from the SF Department of Elections discusses the upcoming election with Cameo House participants.

CJCJ’s Cameo House program provides opportunities for its participants, justice-involved women experiencing homelessness, to enrich their lives through educational, vocational, parenting, and civic engagement activities. Cameo House is a residential alternative sentencing program that is committed to serving its clients and their children through a wide range of supports.

With Election Day fast approaching, CJCJ’s policy team collaborated with Cameo House to facilitate a voter education workshop for women in the program. Facilitators from the San Francisco Department of Elections presented information on the democratic process and specific ballot initiatives. Cameo House participants were eager to discuss current policy propositions and prepare to vote on Tuesday, November 6th.

In particular, the workshop provided clarification about voter eligibility for justice-involved and formerly-incarcerated residents of California. While many voters are disempowered through felony disenfranchisement policies, Cameo residents learned that California residents with records can vote as long as they are not currently in prison or on parole for a felony conviction. Civic engagement provides an opportunity for empowerment and ensures voter-led policies represent the critical voices of community members.

Find out more about Election Day on Tuesday, November 6th »

Cameo House families enjoy time together at the City Kids Family Fair

What better way to bring a smile to a child’s face than a day full of face painting, fire trucks, free books, and fresh foods?

Cameo House children pose in character after having their faces painted.

Families in CJCJ’s Cameo House recently spent a sunny day together at the City Kids Family Fair. This exciting opportunity for families to connect was presented by the Children’s Council of San Francisco in the Mission District.

Cameo House staff, volunteers, clients, and their children came together with members of the community to learn more about the range of child- and education-related programs provided by the Children’s Council for San Francisco families.

A Cameo House participant and her son have fun together as he pretends to be Spiderman.

The children had the chance to participate in various hands-on activities including bubble-making, face painting, and dancing along to live performances. According to the children, the most exciting part of the day was exploring a real San Francisco fire truck! They loved climbing on the truck and meeting the firefighters themselves.

The children returned home to Cameo House with their very own books, fresh fruits and vegetables, and even firefighter hats! Cameo House continues to emphasize programming that enriches the lives of women and children, building connections within their families and deepening their ties to the community.

Find out more about CJCJ’s Cameo House program »

GET INVOLVED: