I am proud of our work to support at-risk youth and change the criminal justice system to enhance fairness and reduce racial disparities. 

In the last few years, we eliminated fees charged to families of incarcerated youth, drastically reduced the numbers of young people incarcerated in juvenile hall, increased protections for  victims of domestic and sexual violence, and improved services for those recently released from incarceration to reduce the likelihood of reoffending. 

And now, in an  historic partnership,  the RYSE Youth Center signed an agreement with Impact Justice and our District Attorney's Office to bring restorative justice diversion to Contra Costa County. 

This program will offer young people opportunities to take accountability for any harm they have caused without getting pushed into the juvenile justice system.

When a young person is arrested for a misdemeanor or felony, the District Attorney now has the ability to refer the case to RYSE to facilitate a restorative circle with the consent of the person harmed, the responsible youth, family members, and impacted community members. A plan will be created, and once the young person completes the plan, no charges will be filed.

Research shows that these restorative justice techniques can improve outcomes for at-risk youth when compared to the traditional court process.