Prevention and Rehabilitation

Oakland Youth Court
www.youthcourt.org
Oakland is one Bay Area city that has started its own Youth Court in the name of Donald P. McCullum, a Judge and Civil Rights leader from Oakland, California. Oakland's Youth Court consists of a judge, attorneys and jurors. Youth court targets first-time offenders from ages 10 to 17, who are referred by the Oakland Police Department for "less serious" offenses.Youth Court is legally binding and only 10% of offenders who complete the McCullum Youth Court process, reoffend. Youth Court is beneficial to young offenders by providing intervention and empowerment for youth. Find out more on Oakland's Youth Court and how to start one in your own city. View clips from an interview with Youth Court members.

Juvenile Justice Evaluation Center
www.jrsainfo.org/jjec/programs/index.html
Although there is plenty of information and statistics available to support the effectiveness of rehabilitation, our juvenile system still lacks the ability to direct youth towards a positive future, largely due to the use of incarceration a key tool in attempting to control the youth. Here is an organization that serves at-risk youth and youth that have committed crimes by offering a family strengthening program, life skills development, conflict resolution program, mentoring program and other opportunities to build self-esteem. This self-esteem and confidence is far more likely to direct the youth towards a positive future and out of a life of destruction.

Coalition for Juvenile Justice
www.juvjustice.org/media/index.html
CJJ is a national nonprofit association comprising 56 governor-appointed advisory groups on juvenile justice. They believe prevention and rehabilitation are the keys to reducing juvenile delinquency. You can learn more about current and provocative issues affecting juvenile justice and public safety from this site. This site also lists key juvenile justice Issues and provides other resources and Web sites.

Building Blocks for Youth
www.buildingblocksforyouth.org
Building blocks for youth is in organization that especially looks at portrayals of youth, race, and crime in the news, and also addresses bias in the media.

We Interrupt This Message
www.interrupt.org
Now this is a great site to check out if you are interested in organizations helping youth overcome media bias. They put their messages out using the media and attempt to change public policy. They also help to focus on re-framing techniques to change the way news coverage frames an issue. So if you are trying to stand up against the media and the way that they portray youth then www.interrupt.org is your site.

Art From Within Juvenile Hall

The Beat Within
www.pacificnews.org/yo/beat/
The Beat Within is a monthly magazine made by juvenile hall inmates in California's Youth Guidance Center (YGC). An organization called YO! (Youth Outlook) holds workshops in the Youth Guidance Center so that youth can express their feelings in writing and drawing. A lot of this material on this site is based on personal experiences, as the youth in juvenile hall include a lot of their feelings and what they truly care about in the magazine.

Girls in the Hall
www.girlsinthehall.org/
Girls in the Hall is an art exhibition inspired by young women that are detained in San Francisco's Juvenile Hall. It features both visual artwork and creative writing by the girls. The participants hope to bridge gap between how the public perceives them and how they really feel. The young women want to allow an opportunity for connection and understanding between themselves and the public. Find out more about how the girls use their feelings and creativity to be recognized and get their voices heard.

Books Not Bars
www.booksnotbars.org

Prison Activist Resource Center
www.prisonactivist.org

Restorative Justice Online
www.restorativejustice.org

No War on Youth
colorlines.com/waronyouth

Schools Not Jails
www.schoolsnotjails.com

Youth Empowerment Center
www.youthec.org

Generation Incarceration: Juvenile Justice and the War on Youth
www.alternet.org/wiretapmag/Rights/juvenile.html

Youth Making a Change (YMAC)
www.colemanadvocates.org/AAYouthMake.htm
Hear clips from an interview with YMAC members.