As students across California begin a new school year, I want to extend my best wishes to every young person, educator, probation professional, and community partner working to create brighter futures for justice-involved youth through access to quality education and the nurturing and building of lifelong learning. Each new school year represents a renewed opportunity to learn, grow, and discover what is possible.
Through the OYCR Juvenile Court School Literacy Intervention, County Offices of Education and Probation Departments are helping students strengthen foundational literacy skills and build confidence as learners. More than 200 students have participated statewide, demonstrating meaningful literacy growth and reinforcing what is possible when state and local partners work together around the educational needs of young people.
We are also continuing our work with counties through AB 2176 to better understand and address chronic absenteeism in juvenile court schools. The promising practices emerging across California show the importance of education, probation, behavioral health, and community partners working together to keep students engaged and connected to school. These efforts are helping identify strategies that can be shared statewide to strengthen attendance, educational continuity, and student success. Read the OYCR 2025 AB 2176 Report.
Supporting these efforts is the OYCR Education Advisory Committee, which brings together representatives from county offices of education, probation, state education partners, advocates, and other leaders to strengthen educational opportunities for justice-involved youth. The Committee helps break down silos between education and juvenile justice, identify promising practices, and create stronger pathways for young people.
Finally, I encourage young people to share their voices through OYCR’s “I Was, I Am, I Will” Mental Health Art, Narrative, and Film Contest in partnership with Youth Creating Change. The contest invites current and formerly incarcerated youth and young adults ages 12–25 to reflect on their experiences, strengths, and hopes for the future through creative expression. Awards include $500 for first place, $300 for second place, $200 for third place, and two $100 honorable mentions, with winners recognized at an award ceremony. Submissions are due August 31, 2026.
Thank you for your unwavering commitment to California's young people. Together, we are demonstrating that when we invest in education, collaboration, and opportunity, every young person has the chance to thrive.
Judge Katherine Lucero (ret.) Director
Office of Youth and Community Restoration California Health & Human Services Agency
Youth Spotlight
After serving eight years in Los Angeles County’s youth justice system, Bryan was released three months ago with a determination to build a new future. While still incarcerated, he began participating with Amity Foundation in the Youth Employment Initiative, where he began participating in classes that laid the groundwork for a successful transition back into the community. Through this program, Bryan developed employment skills such as resume building, workplace safety, and construction fundamentals while also strengthening life skills including communication, patience, coping strategies, self-advocacy, and professional etiquette.
Today, Bryan continues his journey with Amity while living in the community. He is learning welding, painting, body work, motorcycle maintenance, and other trade skills that will prepare him for long-term employment opportunities. Bryan has remained focused on his goals through regular check-ins, encouragement, and guidance.
Inspired by his own experiences, Bryan has also founded Surviving Misguidance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the community by providing meals to those in need and mentoring youth ages 13 to 18. Born from an idea he developed while incarcerated, the organization aims to help young people make positive choices while seeking grant funding to expand its impact.
Bryan's story is a powerful example of how opportunity, mentorship, and determination can create lasting change for individuals and the communities they serve. We hope his story is an inspiration to those facing similar challenges and shows what successful reentry can look like.
CBO Spotlight
California Support Services
OYCR is proud to be partnering with California Support Services (CSS) as part of our Community Based Organization Technical Assistance Project. This project focuses on providing technical assistance through the Justice Serving Network (JSN) to CBOs interested in becoming CalAIM providers as a means of supporting justice involved youth through Enhanced Care Management services. CSS operates across 7 counties in California including Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Marin, Yolo, Sonoma, and Placer Counties, and expanding into an additional ten counties over the next year. Services CSS provides include Outreach, Engagement, Assessment, Care Management, Care Coordination, Health Promotion, Transitional Care, Family Support, Community Services, and Social Services.
Key Statistics:
Supports 2,585 youth, young adults & adults annually through mentorship, preventive services and educational programs.
Assisting those experiencing homelessness in finding secure, supportive housing for over 3 years.
70% reduction in recidivism helping formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate and succeed.
Prior to joining the CBO Technical Assistance Project, CSS had two staff and now have 31 staff because of working with Full Circle Health Network and Partnership Health Plan. In addition, Kaiser Health has reached out to CSS to be a referral contractor as they expand their counties of service. Will Moffet, President of CSS stated that he wants to “Help as many youths as possible."
Listening, Learning, and Improving at Skyline Academy in Napa County
Juvenile justice agencies nationwide continue to explore ways to balance accountability with rehabilitation, recognizing that meaningful change often depends on more than program participation and compliance. Skyline Academy, a juvenile facility in Napa County California, is one agency embracing this shift by intentionally gathering participant feedback to help inform service delivery and continuous improvement.
To support this effort, Skyline Academy partnered with the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute (UCCI) to develop and implement satisfaction surveys for youth and families participating in the program. These surveys will provide structured opportunities for participants to share feedback about their experiences, relationships with staff, perceptions of support, and overall satisfaction with services. Rather than serving as a one-time initiative, the surveys are intended to become an ongoing component of Skyline Academy’s quality improvement process, helping identify strengths, highlight opportunities for growth, and ensure services remain responsive to participant needs.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to creating an environment where youth and families feel heard, valued, and engaged,” said Assistant Chief Craig Burch of Napa County Probation. “By listening to their experiences, we can continuously improve our services and better support successful outcomes for the young people we serve.”
Peer Health Education Program from Santa Clara County Juvenile Custody Health Services receives California State Association of Counties Challenge Award
The Peer Health Education program was created by the Juvenile Custody Health Services division of Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (the County-run health system) and implemented with the County’s Probation Department. Its mission is twofold: to empower youth with scientifically proven health information that is delivered to them by a trusted peer, and to advance leadership and communication skills amongst a vulnerable youth population. This intervention, completed in collaboration with County health services and probation, is the first of its kind in the nation in a youth facility.
Taking Flight: Oasis West and Elevate House Open New Career Pathways
Oasis West L.A. and Elevate House, residential Less Restrictive Programs (LRP) operated by Avalon Carver Community Center, are opening new career possibilities through Operation Takeoff, a 12-week, credential-bearing aviation and workforce academy (Pilot Cohort) designed for system-impacted young adults.
Delivered in partnership with The Hangar Bros and Compton-Woolley Airport, Operation Takeoff combines aviation exposure with practical skills that can lead to careers in aviation, advanced manufacturing, and related technical fields. During the first six weeks, participants receive hands-on instruction in areas such as welding, aircraft restoration, and riveting. The second half of the program introduces participants to flight simulation, FAA foundations, drone operations, and actual flight time. Graduates can earn seven credentials and receive guided employment-placement support.
These aren’t field trips or one-time experiences. Young people are working with equipment, learning alongside industry professionals, developing technical skills, and gaining experiences that can translate into real employment opportunities. Sitting in a cockpit or inspecting an aircraft engine allows a young person to move from simply hearing about aviation to imagining themselves as a pilot, mechanic, drone operator, flight simulation instructor, dispatcher, or aerospace professional.
That exposure is especially significant for young men of color from communities that have historically lacked access to specialized aviation and aerospace career pipelines. Talent and potential have always existed in these communities; access, professional networks, and opportunities to explore these fields have not always followed. Operation Takeoff is helping close that gap.
Oasis West and Elevate House demonstrate what the LRP continuum can make possible when stable housing and individualized support are paired with education, mentorship, industry-recognized credentials, and pathways to living-wage employment. These LRPs are not only helping young people return to their communities; they are creating environments in which young people can discover new interests, build confidence, and begin preparing for meaningful careers.
By opening the doors to hangars, workshops, and cockpits, Oasis West and Elevate House are expanding what these young men can see for themselves; and giving them the tools to begin turning that vision into a future.
“Your past doesn’t dictate your Altitude” - Albert Brady Board Member of Avalon-Carver Community center
Voices of Youth Justice
The System California Is Transforming, Three Years In
Three years after California closed its state youth prisons, the work has shifted from building a new system to strengthening it. Across California, partners are elevating youth voices, expanding community supports, and reinforcing the accountability needed to help young people thrive.
In 2025 alone, OYCR responded to 213 technical assistance requests across 52 counties, expanded its Juvenile Court School Literacy Intervention to four counties, and helped more than 100 families overcome barriers to visitation—strengthening family connections that support successful rehabilitation and reentry. These efforts reflect the collaborative work happening across California to build a more rehabilitative, equitable youth justice system.
Learn how OYCR and its partners are turning the vision of youth justice realignment into lasting change — on our Voices of Youth Justice blog.
News and Updates
Juvenile cases have no impact on voting rights, ever!
Voter Registration Deadline: October 19, 2026
For youth who are inside a juvenile facility, the Probation Department is required to identify voting-eligible youth and assist with registration. (Elec. Code § 2105.7)
Young people in California can vote if they are:
A U.S. citizen and CA resident 18 years old or older on Election Day (11/3/26)
Not currently in a state or federal prison for an adult felony conviction
Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court
Funding Opportunity for Technical Assistance, Training, and Capacity‑Building Services
The Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) has released a statewide Request for Proposals (RFP) to award $2.75 million in funding for Technical Assistance, Training, and Capacity‑Building Services supporting nonprofit organizations working in the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) field.
This grant opportunity is designed to strengthen organizational infrastructure, financial and administrative systems, data and case‑management capacity, staff development, and long‑term sustainability for community‑based organizations engaged in CVI work across California.
Organizations with experience providing technical assistance, training, and capacity‑building support—particularly those familiar with CVI strategies and nonprofit operational development—are encouraged to apply.
Proposal Submission Deadline: September 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Events and Webinars
New OYCR Webinar Series: Family Engagement in Youth Justice
This new webinar series lays the groundwork for what meaningful family engagement really is and why it matters for youth outcomes, featuring firsthand perspectives from a parent organizer and a probation officer alongside core principles like defining family broadly, centering the young person, and addressing barriers to involvement. Attendees will leave with practical resources and a preview of what's ahead in the series.
The next meeting of the CWC Youth Justice Committee (YJC) will take place on Wednesday, September 9. This meeting will be held in-person in Sacramento as well as virtually on zoom.
The agenda and materials can be found on the CWC YJC webpage.
State Advisory Group on Youth Justice Quarterly Meeting
Join us Wednesday, September 16 for the State Advisory Group on Youth Justice (SAGYJ) Meeting in-person in Sacramento or virtually via Zoom.
Topics include:
Child Trafficking Unit Presentation
Title II Updates
Subcommittee Updates
OYCR Informational Updates
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
11 am to 3 pm PDT
1215 O Street, 1st Floor- California Room, Sacramento, CA
or attend virtually via Zoom
📅 Register to attended in-person or via zoom and add the meeting to your calendar
More information about the committee, including meeting materials, can be found on our website.
Register Now for the California Youth Justice Summit
Heal the Past, Pave the Future: Watering the Seed from Youth Voice to Vision
San Diego Marriott La Jolla - October 5-7, 2026
The 2026 California Youth Justice Summit brings together leaders, practitioners, community organizations, and multidisciplinary partners committed to improving outcomes for youth across California. Register now.
