FLY’s Movement for Justice
With the current state of the world, people are now more than ever wishing to learn about how we can create a more just and equitable future for our youth. This is why we’ve decided to launch Movement for Justice—a virtual series that addresses hot topics on the juvenile justice landscape. In each installment, there are panel interviews comprised of FLY staff, youth, and other guest speakers. This is a space for our supporters to have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with FLY on a deeper level.
In our very first installment on October 14th, we covered the topic of the State of Youth Justice in California. Watch the recording on our YouTube channel:
California is considered one of the most progressive states in the nation but has high rates of youth incarceration. In this installment of the Movement for Justice series, we focused on FLY’s engagement with Senate Bill 823. The bill permanently closes California’s state youth prisons and redirects the funding to counties to provide services for youth impacted by the justice system, including young adults who were youth when they were charged.
FLY has been on the front lines of this issue, working with our local counties as they plan for the transfer of youth in state facilities back to their home communities and make provisions to care for youth who otherwise would have been transferred to state facilities. Because youth voice is at the heart of what we do, we have also gathered the input of youth who are themselves currently in state facilities soon to be closed.
Learn more about the State of Youth Justice in California from FLY CEO, Ali Knight, and three members of our team who have been working to advance youth justice on this issue: The Honorable Patrick Tondreau, Co-Chair of the FLY Board Systems Change Committee; Dr. Cassidy Higgins, Vice President of Community Impact; and Nick Jasso, Youth Voice Policy Coordinator.
Look out for the recording of our next installment where we’ll cover the topic of Prioritizing School Safety.
“Justice is what love looks like in public” – Dr. Cornel West