In lieu of a Director's letter, this month we highlight California counties participation in Georgetown University's Transforming Juvenile Probation (TJP) Certificate Program.
The TJP certificate program brings together teams of justice system stakeholders, youth leaders, and community partners to implement research-based principals to advance probation practices in order to best support youth on a path toward success without future system involvement. County teams complete and execute a Capstone Project, grounded in the following five pillars of probation transformation that will build upon the significant reforms and positive progress made in recent years to California’s youth justice system. The five pillars are:
Expand diversion and community-led responses.
Minimize out-of-home placements through community-based alternatives.
Make probation a relationship-based, time-limited intervention that promotes youth well-being.
Advance equity and improve outcomes for youth of color.
Strengthen partnerships among probation, public agencies, community-based organizations, youth, and families.
The pillars of TJP align directly with OYCR’s vision for youth justice in California, which centers on expanding diversion, reducing unnecessary system involvement, strengthening community partnerships and improving outcomes for youth and families.
Read more about how this program is changing juvenile justice in California.
Judge Katherine Lucero (ret.) Director
Office of Youth and Community Restoration California Health & Human Services Agency
OYCR’s 2025 Annual Report Is Here!
We’re excited to share OYCR’s 2025 Annual Report, reflecting a year of continued progress in California’s youth justice transformation and what it takes to build lasting change.
In 2025, we expanded technical assistance across 52 of 58 counties, supported statewide learning and collaboration, and deepened our investments in youth leadership, family engagement, education, behavioral health, and accountability.
The 2025 report captures a system continuing to shift toward rehabilitation, healing, and community-based care—made possible through strong partnerships with counties, community-based organizations, educators, families, and young people, and sustained through the steady work of building relationships, infrastructure, and shared practice.
YAB member Jon Finley graduated from Lake Tahoe Community College on June 26th, with YAB member Mercedez Perez invited as a guest keynote speaker for the graduation activities through Rising Scholars. With higher education being strongly prioritized and valued on YAB, board members Victoria Birch and Reid Butler were in also attendance to celebrate and support their peer.
The Youth Advisory Board traveled down to Southern California to attend and present at the Partnerships for Well-Being Institute Conference in June. Mercedez Perez joined Dr. Massa as opening speakers for the closing day of the conference. The board, in collaboration with the Social Changery, went on to host an impactful workshop with over 150 people in attendance. Following this presentation, Victoria and board member Vincent Lising were able to attend the Orange County Juvenile Hall car show that was organized and put on by their youth council. Sitting on this youth council are two YAB members who have recently joined the board and have already made a significant impact. These Orange County representatives were ecstatic that a few of their fellow YAB members were able to attend their event in person.
Four YAB members traveled to Butte County to attend the launch of the youth council within the Juvenile Hall called Unmute Butte. Two of the Unmute Butte councilmembers are also representatives on the YAB. These two members, along with their Unmute Butte peers, have been working on launching this council for months. It was extremely special to witness their official launch and have YAB members in attendance as well.
Youth Empowerment Network is a small non-profit serving system-involved youth. 90% of the staff have lived experience and have been formally incarcerated. They align their work under three pillars: Community Engagement, Resilience, and Leadership Development.
Since Youth Empowerment Network’s award through OYCR’s CBO funding opportunity, they have had three significant milestones within the month of July 2026.
The San Diego Chamber of Commerce recognized Youth Empowerment Network as the Non-Profit Leader for 2026.
They received their first reimbursement for CalAIM.
“Full Circle Health Network and JSN have created a community of organizations, that see the bigger picture and understand that this work is not about us, it is about bettering the communities we serve,” stated Alexis Crespo, Chief Program and Development Officer at Youth Empowerment Network.
Youth Empowerment Network has been receiving training and technical assistance as part of Cohort 2 of Justice Serving Network (JSN).JSN helps CBOs who provide services to justice involved youth and who wish to access potential sustainable funding through CalAIM Enhanced Care Management.OYCR funded a total of 28 CBOs and divided them between Cohorts 1 and Cohort 2, for CalAIM technical assistance and an additional eight CBOs were funded to build their internal capacity to enhance their services for youth in the justice system. The Center at Sierra Health Foundation has also been instrumental in helping CBOs like Youth Empowerment Network.
New Probation Mobile Offices Bring Services Directly to Communities in San Diego
San Diego County Probation is rolling out two new mobile service centers this month to bring critical resources and support directly to community members who may struggle to access services because of transportation barriers or limited awareness of available services.
“Our clients and the community deserve high-quality support, and we are committed to meeting people where they are,” Chief Probation Officer Tamika Nelson said. “These mobile centers allow us to deliver services to places where they can make the greatest impact.
Funded by a state grant, the two mobile home-sized vehicles, now called Mobile Probation Service Centers (MPSC), will operate as offices on wheels. Officers can meet with clients where they live, while partner agencies join them to provide services that are not typically available in the field.
The mobile centers will offer screenings and connections to community providers for substance use treatment, mental health care, education, employment, and information on court‑related programs. On‑site assessments will help ensure residents receive evidence‑based care tailored to their needs. Staff will also distribute food, hygiene kits and clothing to anyone who needs them.
Eleven LRP Youth Discover New Possibilities in New York City
This summer, Los Angeles Room & Board (LARNB) brought together eleven youth from four different Less Restrictive Programs (LRPs) across Los Angeles County for a transformative journey to New York City—a week filled with firsts, discovery, and new possibilities.
For every participant, it was their first visit to New York City. For several, it was also their first plane ride and first visit to the East Coast. Already enrolled in colleges throughout Los Angeles, the youth explored what their futures could hold through visits to Fordham University and Columbia University. At Fordham, they had the unique opportunity to meet Dr. Tania Tetlow, the University's first female president. By the end of the trip, several youth returned home inspired to pursue graduate school opportunities on the East Coast.
The week blended higher education, service, culture, and unforgettable experiences. While volunteering at the Bowery Mission, youth prepared meals from scratch and served them to women experiencing homelessness and domestic violence.
They attended The Lion King on Broadway, visited the World Trade Center Memorial, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Bronx Zoo, and the New York Botanical Garden, explored the American Museum of Natural History, and celebrated the Fourth of July at Yankee Stadium. Along the way, they built friendships across programs, broadened their perspectives, and gained confidence by experiencing one of the world's most dynamic cities together.
Reflecting on the experience, LARNB Founder Sam Prater shared:
"New York is where I came into my own—where I became an adult. Knowing how transformational this city was for me, getting to experience it through their eyes was incredible. Seeing them walk the campuses of Fordham and Columbia, watching their faces as they took in Times Square and the Statue of Liberty, and seeing them be inspired by the city's extraordinary cultural institutions was truly amazing. Watching them discover what was possible for their own futures was life-changing—for them and for me."
Experiences like this are at the heart of LARNB's mission. By creating opportunities that connect young people to higher education, service, culture, and new communities, LARNB helps justice-involved youth expand their horizons and imagine futures without limits.
Voices of Youth Justice
Voices of Youth Justice: When Community-Based Organizations Are Supported, Youth Thrive
“In my tradition as a Native Indigenous person, our wealth isn’t determined by how much we have. It’s by how much we give away.” —Alfred Melbourne, Founder and Director of Three Sisters Gardens
Across California, community-based organizations (CBOs) play a vital role in helping young people impacted by the justice system build stability, skills, and connection. Rooted in trust and shaped by community, these organizations provide the culturally responsive, healing-centered support young people need to thrive—but too often without the sustained resources to do so.
Learn more about how investment in CBOs is strengthening California’s youth justice ecosystem and creating pathways for young people to heal and thrive — on our Voices of Youth Justice blog.
News and Updates
Mental Health, Art, Narrative, and Film Media Challenge
The Mental Health, Art, Narrative, and Film Media Challenge invites current or formerly incarcerated youth ages 12-25 to create art in any form: a short film, visual art piece, poster, Instagram post or story, or spoken word piece that shares their stories of reflection and hope. Participants have a chance to win up to $500 and be recognized at the OYCR Youth Justice Summit in October 2026. Deadline to submit is August 31st.
In partnership with the nonprofit organization Youth Creating Change, the Office of Youth and Community Restoration is supporting this challenge for schools and organizations serving systems-involved youth to encourage young people to express their lived experience though art. The Youth Creating Change team is available to facilitate lessons for youth (virtually) that are interested in participating.
The challenge asks participants to reflect, via art (in any form), on how lived experience has shaped them into the person they are today and their hope for the future. Winning projects will explore how youth’s lived experiences have shaped the person they are today and who they hope to be in the future.
OYCR is hiring an Analyst III in the Operations and Grant Program Support Division. Final filing date is August 11, 2026 - JC-524422
OYCR is hiring an Attorney III in the Ombuds Division. Final filing date is August 23, 2026 - JC-526164
Events and Webinars
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.
Updates on HR 1 Impacts on Medi-Cal, CalFresh and California’s Rural Health Transformation Program
Learn more about recent federal policy changes in health and human services and how California is responding in our CalHHS Connect webinar series.
Last year, the Republican majority in Congress and President Trump enacted H.R. 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act or OBBBA). CalHHS leadership provide an update on the latest efforts to address the bill’s impacts on safety-net programs in California and highlight recent guidance.
