California Justice Leaders Expansion

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Los Angeles County is in the midst of a fundamental transformation of its juvenile justice system. As the state decommissioned the Dept of Juvenile Justice facilities and moved youth back into county detention centers, Los Angeles County transitioned to “care first, jails last”community-based alternatives to suspension, expulsion, and arrest; expanded funding for reentry programs; and depopulating the county’s juvenile halls. However, services both inside and out of detention facilities have lagged. Los Padrinos and the Secure Track Youth Facility at Barry J. Nidorf are understaffed and lack the specialized services needed to help these youth successfully reenter their communities. They have been equated to “resource deserts.” Youth need a constant thread of connection, from pre-release through their reentry into community, to help them re-integrate and access services. They need someone to walk alongside them in this journey, ideally someone who has made that same journey themselves.

California Justice Leaders (CJL) is a mentorship and professional development program for justice impacted youth and young adults. Justice Leaders receive a year of paid employment training at more than 15 LA partner organizations. During that year, they deliver 900 hours of mentorship and reentry planning for other young people who are currently incarcerated or recently released. One-on-one coaching sessions include planning for: 1) work, 2) school or vocational training, 3) community involvement, and 4) improving peer and family relationships. They also create hands-on connections to support services and record clearing pathways.
The Justice Leaders receive comprehensive training in public speaking, case management, G suite and CRM utilization, and individualized support from Impact Justice staff. Our LA partners including Mass Liberation, Defy Ventures, InsideOut Writers, Push 4 Peace, Healing Urban Barrios, and Boyle Heights Arts Conservancy provide workplace training and supervision. When each cohort graduates, they become part of our CJL Alumni Network, continuing their development as professionals, entrepreneurs, and scholars.
In 2025, CJL is transforming our services, transitioning from an Americorps model to an integrated partnership with the LA Dept. of Youth Development. DYD will link youth directly to a CJL member in their community prior to release, providing a vital continuum of care for their reentry and dual impact for CJL members and the youth they serve.

Young people returning from detention will receive the resources they need to help them heal and establish economic stability. Even more importantly, they will receive inspiration and guidance from adults who look like and have lived through experiences like them. This will give them the scaffolding they need to succeed and a vision of the future that includes giving back to their community and becoming leaders themselves. Both our Justice Leaders and the youth they mentor will become the next generation of community leaders that will build a strong and equitable Los Angeles. 
The new Department of Youth Development will grow an ecosystem of community-based reentry, violence prevention, and restorative justice organizations that develop a new fair and restorative juvenile justice system for LA that will be a model for others. This an inflection point for the county's years-long effort to institute a community based response to young people encounter with the criminal justice system.