In 1969, the Real Alternatives Program called for the closure of SF’s Youth Guidance Center. 50 years later in 2019, the SF Board of Supervisors overwhelmingly approved the closure by the end of 2021. RAMA Blueprints hosts a live discussion with community members and leaders who were active in the Shut YGC down movement over the last 50 years. The discussion includes a lively intergenerational conversation between Alfredo Bojórquez(Court Alternatives Specialist, Office of SF Public Defender), Marlene Sanchez (Executive Director, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights), and Krea Gomez (Senior Program Officer, Rosenberg Foundation)moderated by Host Socorro Gamboa.
The live podcast was recorded at BRAVA For Women in the Arts' Cabaret. SHUT IT DOWN!: The Closure of Youth Guidance Center is part of our Tres Generaciones/Three Voices conversations.
Well, welcome everyone.
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:Welcome to the RAMA Blueprints podcast.
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:I'd like to welcome you to
Brava Women for the Arts.
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:we are here live and we're
recording today our Shut It Down.
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:the closure of Youth Guidance Center.
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:This is part of a series called
Tres Generaciones, Three Voices.
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:We are streaming live from Brava,
on Facebook Live, at the Cabaret in
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:San Francisco's Mission District.
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:It's a chilly evening, it feels cool, it
feels nice, and we're so happy to be here.
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:In 2021, city officials
acknowledge that the effort to
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:close Juvenile Hall was dead.
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:There are no more committees, no
official conversations, no pending
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:steps to accomplish the goal.
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:A 150 bed facility remains open.
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:operational, and still mostly empty.
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:24 young people remain locked up inside.
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:Over 50 percent of them that are
detained are immigrant youth.
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:Seven serious offenders that
are 18 to 25 are serving up to
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:seven years in that facility.
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:From the leadership efforts
of Shaman Walton, the Board of
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:Supervisors voted to close YGC down.
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:What did they do?
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:Created a working group that can
involve community members, communities
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:participated, they did focus groups,
and after many meetings and discussions,
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:recommendations were submitted.
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:Meanwhile, young people
are still locked up.
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:Then the mayor, she creates
her blue ribbon committee.
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:They too come up with
recommendations and all along,
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:young people are still locked up.
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:Then the chief probation Leader
responds with her own committee
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:and more recommendations are given.
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:Everyone has their findings.
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:The community contributes,
provides strategies that have
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:been proven to be effective,
interventions that they know work.
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:Meanwhile, young people are
still locked up, traumatized,
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:criminalized, and thrown away.
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:All while, we all know that the
long term effects of incarceration
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:will significantly impact them.
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:And it will impact their spirit,
their hearts, their mental health,
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:and their overall well being.
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:Three reports later.
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:Three years later, 55 years later,
this community still finds itself at
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:the hands of bureaucracy, basically,
they just took the community on a wild
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:ride, derailed the hopes of so many,
a strategy that they used to detour
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:and derail the goal to shut it down.
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:The long term negative effects of
isolation and incarceration on young
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:people have led to many questions.
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:The logic of maintaining expenses
to operate a facility that only
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:is one fourth capacity and it
costs over 300, 000 per youth.
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:Incarcerating young people is harmful.
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:Incarcerating anyone is
harmful to their being.
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:And to their humanists.
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:The bureaucracies have pledged to place
these incarcerated young people in a
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:more home like, supportive environment.
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:More focus, more rehabilitation.
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:Really?
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:When?
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:Maybe, what we need to do is look
at the dehumanization of these young
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:people, of the individuals incarcerated.
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:Governor Newsom, former mayor of San
Francisco, made a move not alone,
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:with many advocates, to shut down
the California Youth Authority.
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:They identified it as
inhumane and dehumanizing.
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:And here in San Francisco, that used
to be one of the most liberal cities
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:in the nation, willfully knowing
that for every day, and every night,
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:Young people remain incarcerated.
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:How long will the community
sit or wait and go along with
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:what the city has proposed?
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:What plan of action does the
community have to hold the
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:city and county accountable?
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:Is San Francisco as
liberal as it used to be?
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:Did you know San Francisco was the
first city in the nation to agree
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:to close juvenile justice centers?
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:Even though YGC population continued to
dwindle and closure seemed logical, when
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:will the priority and the recommendations
from the community be taken serious?
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:So here we are, like I said,
55 years later, in the same
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:struggle, same situation.
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:And young people are locked up.
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:We're here today, RAMA is here today,
not to provide the answer, but to
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:create a dialogue with our distinguished
guests, our distinguished panelists,
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:with the community, that hopefully will
lead to encourage a proven strategy
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:and intervention that historically
the community has implemented and
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:success, and had success with it.
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:The answer may not come
tonight, or next week.
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:Maybe not even in three to five years from
now, but it is imperative that we start
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:somewhere and that we start here tonight.
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:In 2019, we were that
close to closing it down.
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:What can we do tonight to reach that goal?
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:So let's talk.
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:Let's talk about it.
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:Tonight with us we have, to my left,
The distinguished Alfredo Bohorquez.
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:Yeah, let's give him a hand.
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:Fred is a lifelong
resident of San Francisco.
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:He has dedicated his life
over 30 years of advocacy.
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:to working with at risk immigrant
youth and their families.
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:He's a former staff of RAP, where
he himself received services, and he
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:was exposed to community organizing.
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:Alfredo worked at RAP for 15 years as
a juvenile court liaison and on the
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:Calle Street Outreach Team, providing
direct services, gang intervention,
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:case management, and court advocacy.
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:Alfredo has sat on the Executive
Committee of the JDI, Juvenile Detention
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:Alternative Initiative, and the
JJPA, Juvenile Providers Association.
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:he also was employed at Instituto
Familiar de la Raza, a non profit
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:community mental health and social service
agency, as a Youth Services Coordinator.
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:He is currently employed as the
Court Alternative Specialist with
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:the Youth Defender Unit of the San
Francisco Public Defender's Office.
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:Welcome, Alfredo Bogorges.
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:Also with us, we have Marlene
Sanchez, otra veterana, San Francisco
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:native, Chicana, movement leader,
formerly incarcerated woman.
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:And she began her community
work at 15 years old.
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:She is the former Executive Director
of the Young Women's Freedom Center.
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:Marlene has also worked in
leadership with COURAGE, Communities
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:United for Restorative Justice.
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:She also helped form the Alliance
for Girls and is a founding
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:member of All of Us or None.
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:You want to give it some up?
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:All right, here we go.
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:She currently serves as the
Executive Director of Ella
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:Baker Center for Human Rights.
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:We are humbled and honored to
have Marlene with us today.
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:Thank you, Marlene.
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:And last but not least, The new
generation of leadership Krea Gomez.
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:CREA is an indigenous mother of six.
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:For more than 20 years, she has anchored
her work in education, community
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:organizing, youth development, and
juvenile and criminal justice advocacy.
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:She has served as a member of the
leadership team at the Young Women's
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:Freedom Center, and was the former
Dean of Students and School Culture at
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:the North Oakland Community Charter.
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:She received the Social Justice Teacher of
the Year Award and is the founding member
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:of the Sisters Warriors Freedom Coalition.
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:She is a former leading fellow at
Rosenberg Foundation and currently
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:serves as the Senior Program
Officer of Rosenberg's Foundation.
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:Let's welcome Krea.
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:Well, just so you all know, we
did provide our panelists with the
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:question, and we're going to give
them some time now to respond, and the
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:question spoke about what brought them.
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:So we can get a feel of who we
have with us today, and get a sense
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:of, what keeps people inspired.
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:So we're gonna start with Crea, and
then we'll work our way this way.
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:Crea.
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:Krea: Good evening, everyone.
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:Before I get started, I just want to
shout out the Young Women's Freedom
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:Center is here, we have, Chalk here,
we have 5 Elements in the house, I
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:think it's important just to know
that we have a whole the mission, San
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:Francisco, uh, we don't do this work by
ourselves, we do this in collaboration,
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:and, our partners are here, our,
our, Our organizing family is here.
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:So, my first introduction
to the system was at 15.
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:And it's not easy to live in San
Francisco, everyone knows that.
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:I think when you come from a family
that, uh, you know, you You do your
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:best, you're working class, you do
your best to provide what you can
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:for your kids, but life is tough.
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:There's a lot of opportunity for kids
to get into things that aren't so great.
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:And there's a lot of, peer pressure
to look certain ways and to wear
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:certain things, especially in a
very flashy city like San Francisco.
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:So my introduction to the system was
to stealing and that was literally
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:just to make sure that I had clothes
to go to school with and decent shoes.
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:My last interaction with
the system was in 93.
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:And that last interaction probably was
the most important because it's where I
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:met a woman named Sandy Close, who led an
organization called Pacific News Service.
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:And she was just creating a newspaper
called Youth Outlook Magazine.
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:And she had done a focus group
with folks inside Juvenile Hall.
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:And anybody that's been in Juvenile
Hall knows that if you want to get out
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:of your room and eat pizza that a guest
brings, you go to the groups, whether
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:you know what they're doing or not.
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:And there, to eat the pizza, I
talked a lot, and she said, there's
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:an organization I know that's going
to be starting and it's through a
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:place called the Coming to the Sun
Coalition, and they work with girls, and
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:they're starting a, a, an organization
for girls that have been homeless
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:and, involved in the streets, and.
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:The Life and, I'll pass your name
on to the woman that's running it.
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:And I was one of the first six girls
to be part of what is now known as
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:the Young Women's Freedom Center.
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:And I think the reason why that was so
important is because it was the first
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:place where instead of being told what
to do, I was asked what I wanted to do.
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:And I think that for me that was It,
it let me know that there were people
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:that actually cared, and people that
wanted to hear my voice, and people
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:that didn't think I was a bad person
and that, I had agency, and that I was
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:smart, and I could do great things, and
I could help my community, and give back.
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:So
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:Socorro: yeah.
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:Thank you, Crea.
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:And next we'll hear from Marlene Sanchez.
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:Marlene: Thank you.
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:Thank you, Socorro.
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:And just feel really honored to be
able to be in community and be here
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:with With folks whose shoulders I stand
on, there is so much work that was
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:done even before I came into the work.
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:So many organizations that, opened the
doors to me, and so I'm really grateful.
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:Alfredo, when you did Calles,
like, Alfredo used to come outreach
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:to me when I was in the mission.
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:And it really taught me a lot about
meeting people where they are.
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:because there was a time where somebody
met me where I was and I didn't
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:necessarily have to walk into an
organization because during those times
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:we just weren't walking into organizations
and so that has left such an impact on
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:me because to this day, 20 something
years later, I meet people where they
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:are because of People like Alfredo and
people like Ray who met me where I was.
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:So, thank you, uh, for, for inviting me.
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:And also, I feel really grateful
for the opportunity to just reflect.
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:I think it's, we don't get that
moment as often as we would like.
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:It's just an opportunity to think back,
like, what was happening in the 90s.
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:What was, and we know that we have to,
we have to learn about what was happening
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:before and what is happening currently
and, and in order to continue to create
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:spaces where we reimagine what's possible.
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:So, I feel like this.
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:This question did that for me.
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:It gave me an opportunity
to really just reflect.
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:And so the question around
like what brought me into the
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:work very similar to Crea.
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:Crea actually is one of my mentors and
someone who I look up to and after a
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:while, we just start mentoring each other.
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:I guess it's just there's It's
not about age it's about creating
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:community and so, to be able to see
young people like Crea out in the
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:community also gave me a lot of, a
lot of inspiration so thank you Crea.
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:I, I grew up in Juvenile Hall and so
this, this place yeah, I, I caught my
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:first case in In sixth grade in middle
school, I was, I was 11 years old.
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:I was I got in a fight at school because,
uh, I mean, I'm sure it's still like
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:this today, but there was a lot of, of,
of fights in middle schools, I mean, I'm
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:hearing from middle school kids right now
too, it's, it's, not much has changed in
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:terms of like what is happening in school,
but the difference is that I went to a
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:school that was primarily Socorro, Black
and brown and Asian and low income, and
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:so the response to those kids, it looks
very different to the response to kids in
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:middle school and in other communities.
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:So the response was to call the
gang task force to call the police.
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:Well, it was my first
introduction to gangs.
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:I was like, who is the gang task force?
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:I had to like, ask my older
sister who, she knew who they
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:were and I always say like that
was my, that was my introduction.
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:Later on I ended up joining a gang because
I was like I'm already being treated
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:as if I'm in a gang so I might as well
actually have the protection of a gang.
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:It just made sense.
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:And What I was looking
for is, is community.
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:And spent a lot of my years in and
out of, of the detention center and,
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:and after and met amazing people.
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:And I think that is one of the common
things you'll hear is that it is
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:not the institution, sometimes it's
not even the programs, it is the.
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:People the people that connect with
you while you are in these spaces it is
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:people like Jack Jackwell and people who
I remember from my time in the system that
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:really made an impact on me, but also.
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:When I got, when I got out, my, one of
my first things was, I was, I was at the
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:Young Women's Freedom Center and it was,
again, similar to CREA, it was like the
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:first time I actually got a job to go
back into the community and be seen in
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:a different light, instead of somebody
who was Trouble which was my nickname
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:coincidentally But uh, somebody who was
a problem I, I, it was an opportunity
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:to be seen as somebody who actually has
solutions, who actually has a, a voice,
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:and a lot of my, the, the foundation
of the work that I do today really just
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:comes from the teachings that I learned
at the Young Women's Freedom Center,
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:uh, but I got to go back into juvenile
home because as, as many of us who've
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:uh, been incarcerated, the first thing
we want to do is, like, reach back and,
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:and, and reach back for the folks we
left behind and we knew then that places
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:like this were not places that we're
going to support our healing, that we're
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:going to support us in general, and
so I know we're going to have more of
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:a conversation, so I'll stop there so
Alfredo can talk, but excited to just
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:continue to talk about what did we learn
during that time and how do we use that
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:to really help us think about And again,
I'm really excited about the generation
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:of folks who is leading this work.
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:I'm not in San Francisco leading the work.
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:And so I feel really
humbled to be invited.
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:I think of so many people who should be
up here having this conversation, but
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:I'm really excited to, to just start it.
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:So thank
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:Socorro: you.
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:Thank you, Marlene.
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:They called you trouble?
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:Well, now you're causing
good trouble, right?
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:Right on.
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:And now we're here from Alfredo Borges.
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:Alfredo.
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:Alfredo: Uh, first of all, I
have a message of inspiring
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:love from Ray Balbaron, who
could not be with us tonight.
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:And I also want to recognize this
space here at BRAVA and thank Stacy,
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:the Executive Director, who is also
has benefited from the advocacy work
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:that we've done to do intervention work
because, uh, she also receives funding
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:from DCYF, Department of Children, Youth,
and Family, for the running crew, and
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:I'm very proud that my eldest daughter,
during high school, was a participant
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:here, and during her undergraduate
experience at State, came back to be an
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:assistant coordinator here in the running
crew, so many props for this space.
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:In 1979, I found myself in
detention at YGC, what's now
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:called the Juvenile Justice Center.
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:Uh, I met a man named Fred Smith, the
first African American public defender
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:in San Francisco, Tuskegee Airmen, who,
during the interview process, says,
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:Alfredo, I see something different
about you that's very unique than
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:the other youth that I represent here
in, in, in the juvenile court, and I
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:see you live in the Mission District.
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:I'm going to refer you to a friend
of mine who started an organization
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:named Jim Queen, and he also worked
with Danny Glover during the San
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:Francisco Ethnic Studies revolt.
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:And the ironic thing is that RAP
was located at:
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:I live right next door.
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:Never put attention to
what was happening there.
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:I was connected with a man called
Ricardo Caballero, who was the
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:court liaison for RAP at that time.
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:And in my involvement in RAP, one of the
first things that I joined was a youth
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:council, where I was surrounded by many
positive young ladies in the community,
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:Sandy Cuadra, Yolanda Amador, Chachi.
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:And we started focusing on youth issues.
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:Uh, we collaborated with Mitchell
Salazar on the UNI dances, recruiting
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:young people to have a safe space
on a Friday night where to go.
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:But we had a turn of events here in the
mission that was impacting a lot of us.
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:Uh, we had a curfew and
the police department was
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:doing selective enforcement.
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:Off my own stoop, I was taken in at
11 o'clock is when the The shift,
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:uh, would come in, and they would
put us in mission station for hours,
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:calling your parents at 3 or 4 in
the morning to come get you, right?
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:So we presented to the Board of
Supervisors that this was inhumane, and
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:it was selective enforcement, because
if you were in the sunset, and you got a
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:curfew violation, the most likely result
was that the cops would drive you home.
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:So that's, that's,
that's how I got started.
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:Fast forward, I'm a college freshman.
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:I needed money for rent.
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:Uh, Lisa Miranda was
Executive Director of RAP.
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:Uh, Esperanza Echavarri
was the Board President.
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:And they recommended that I get
a half time position to shadow.
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:One of the greatest persons I
ever met, Ray Balbaron, who was
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:assigned to do intervention in
juvenile court and in juvenile hall.
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:I was basically his scribe.
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:I'd go in the afternoons with Ray to
interview young people and I documented
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:everything that was being said.
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:During that course of time, the
things that young people were telling
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:us about the conditions and the
treatment at Youth Guidance Center
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:We're matching, because we're there
at different times, young people are
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:there at different periods of time,
but the same incidents were happening.
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:We connected enough information where we
filed a brief as friends of the court,
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:saying there's institutional child abuse
occurring in San Francisco Juvenile Hall.
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:Arlo Smith was the DA at that time.
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:John D.
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:Van de Kamp was the Attorney
General for the State of California.
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:Both.
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:Uh, the district attorney's office and
the state attorney general investigated
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:our allegations and they came back and
told us that all the, thank you for your
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:efforts, but everything was anecdotal and
past tense, statutes of limitations, etc.
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:We were very disappointed
with those results.
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:And I remember having dinner at
Ray's home one night, excellent cook
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:by the way, always, always a treat.
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:And, we were a little elevated and he
grabs the phone, I go, what are you
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:doing And I'm calling the White House.
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:I want to talk to Ronald Reagan.
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:A human being answers the phone.
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:And Ray says, I'm a veteran, I'm
a homeowner, and I'm concerned
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:that kids are dying in our
juvenile hall in San Francisco.
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:I wanted to speak to the president.
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:She goes, well, the president's busy,
and I understand the nature of your call.
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:Let me get some more information.
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:And, we hung up and didn't think about it.
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:Two weeks later, we get a call from
the Department of Justice Civil Rights
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:Division that they found enough evidence,
historically through publications that
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:have been here in San Francisco since
YGC opened in the:
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:is a pattern of abuse and violation
of young people's civil rights.
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:They sent their investigator, a paraplegic
African American man, and the first
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:thing that we encounter No access
for a wheelchair bound person, right?
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:They had to put him through
the freight elevators.
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:Ray and I were accompanying him.
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:It was so embarrassing.
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:ADA, right?
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:They weren't in compliance.
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:First experience.
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:This is in 84.
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:By 1985, the then Assistant
Attorney General for, for, for the
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:United States, William Bradford.
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:sent Mayor Dianne Feinstein a report on
their findings, substaining that there is
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:civil rights violations in San Francisco
Juvenile Hall, and they demanded that they
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:take action to fund alternatives for young
people in this county, city and county.
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:And from that experience, we've had the
growth of all these organizations that
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:are serving youth that are involved
in the juvenile justice system.
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:Again, I had the opportunity
to be part of that.
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:There was many things that happened.
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:Ray Balbaron's lives were threatened.
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:His family was threatened.
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:We lost a very vital program, La Casa
de Alternativas, that provided an
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:alternative to young people that were
facing detention in juvenile hall.
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:They went after our money.
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:And in 1999, when RAP folded, for many
different reasons, many different reasons.
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:Our programs weren't defunded.
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:The silver lining in the cloud was
that all the other non profit youth
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:organizations in the mission stepped
up to deal with juvenile justice
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:issues because RAP was always the one
that dealt with these topics, right?
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:And again, the silver lining
was that the funding spread out.
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:And everybody in this community
stepped up, Horizons, Instituto,
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:Mission Neighborhood Centers, to deal
with juvenile justice issues, right?
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:During my tenure at Instituto
Cultura Cura Program, We found that
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:the contractors from the juvenile
probation department that were brought
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:on to provide these alternatives for
young people were getting screwed.
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:We weren't getting reimbursed
for a lot of different reasons.
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:They were using our community
funding to pay for workers comp.
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:Uh, we had an accountant over
there that embezzled money.
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:Scandal.
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:That's why the juvenile probation
department does not handle its contracts.
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:It's handled by the Department of
Children, Youth, and Families, right?
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:And we fast forward to Mayor Breed's
rmation of the Blue Ribbon in:
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:Then the Board of Supervisors
on 11 1 to vote passes the
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:ordinance to close juvenile hall
, uh,:
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:And here we are and we
still have the same issues.
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:And I just remember one of the
things that in documenting things
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:for Ray, just inappropriate behavior
staff in junior hall, like men.
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:Supervising young women showering.
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:And I believe that's still an
issue today, because right now,
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:in San Francisco Juvenile Hall,
there's 17 vacant positions.
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:Right now the staff there are
working mandatory overtime.
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:It's good for their pocketbooks,
but it's not good for their
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:mental health and how they react
to situations with young people.
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:Access to Juvenile Hall for attorneys,
social workers, and community groups has
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:been limited because of staff shortages.
401
:So here we are, with all these
recommendations, and we're in an impasse.
402
:With the realignment of the closure of
the California Youth Authority, we, as a
403
:county, are now having to deal with young
people who are committed for long term
404
:commitments, and we are doing a miserable
job because services are non existent.
405
:And they could say because of the
small numbers, but it is a struggle.
406
:It is a struggle.
407
:And today, before I came here, I was
reminded of the Osbons person that we
408
:have up there, because we have filed,
as an office, so many complaints about
409
:attorney access, and agents, the social
workers that we have, to struggle just
410
:to get access to our young people, so.
411
:Things have not changed, and we are
hopeful that we can get some, some
412
:traction in making these recommendations
come to, to, to, to come to light.
413
:So, I'm very thankful, and
again, in San Francisco, we're
414
:a youth resource rich city.
415
:This power, this entity.
416
:Detention has not changed.
417
:Thank you.
418
:Socorro: Thank you, Alfredo.
419
:So hearing what the three of you
said and, Fred bringing it forward
420
:to where we're at today, right?
421
:I had a, a thought, in the last six
months, what's been the interaction?
422
:I know, Krea, you and I had a
really in depth dialogue on the
423
:phone as we were recruiting you
to become part of this panel.
424
:But I think it's important that
you share you were a member of
425
:the working group and, just so you
all know, you can get a copy of all
426
:the recommendations in the reports.
427
:They're all online and you can read them.
428
:you had a really great perspective to
share about what was the frustration after
429
:sitting and I also think that there was
a lot of organizations that lent their
430
:staff to go to these meetings and be there
and, and what's happened in the last six
431
:months or where do you sit with it now?
432
:Krea: Yeah well, I.
433
:I haven't been involved in the last
six months, but I think what's really
434
:important to know is that when the Closed
Juvenile Work Group had ended, normally,
435
:uh, a work group, when you come up with
recommendations it's your job as the
436
:person that wrote those recommendations to
present them to the Board of Supervisors.
437
:When the work group ended, we basically
were told, Thank you very much for your
438
:service, and we'll let you know when we
present them to the Board of Supervisors.
439
:One of the things that had happened is
that there were varying degrees of, I
440
:would say varying, varying opinions about
the purpose of Juvenile Hall and varying
441
:opinions really about young people in San
Francisco that I think made it really hard
442
:for us to create concrete recommendations.
443
:In reality, we should have had
Sixty recommendations tops.
444
:Ones that were really finite and
were vetted through the community.
445
:I want to lift up Valentina Sedeno, who
is a Mission Girls, Mission Native She
446
:was the other community member that sat
on the Closed Juvenile Hall Work Group.
447
:We worked really hard with community
members to hold those listening sessions.
448
:And there were some great recommendations
that came forward from parents whose kids
449
:had been in the system and had graduated
to the adult system and went to prison.
450
:From, young people that were in the
system and had successfully left because
451
:they had mentors in the community.
452
:There were these through lines that we
saw that always came back to community.
453
:What we ended up handing over
to the Board of Supervisors
454
:was almost 200 recommendations.
455
:Wow.
456
:Because there was not alignment on
which recommendations could go forward
457
:because there was a split on the work
group of people that still believe
458
:that juvenile hall is a viable Place
to condition young people somehow to,
459
:go back out into the community and,
and I'm not sure what happens when you
460
:lock kids up for three, four months at
a time what you think is gonna happen.
461
:But, many of us that were, that had
been there, many of us that had.
462
:We've done community work the Juvenile
Justice Providers Association that
463
:supported with advocating for a
lot of the recommendations and
464
:endorsed the ones that came from
the families and, and the providers.
465
:We knew that, like, we
don't need a juvenile hall.
466
:What we really need is honestly what
San Francisco needs, and that is safe,
467
:quality, housing, and places for young
people to be, and for them to be reunited
468
:with their families, and for their
families to have the resources that are
469
:necessary for them to have a quality
of life that allow for them to leave,
470
:live healthy and safe in San Francisco.
471
:And so really, there was 65 of those
recommendations, not 200 and something.
472
:So those recommendations are still out
there, and what I do know is happening
473
:right now is that Katie Miller, the
Chief Probation Officer, for juvenile
474
:she actually did see some, some of
those recommendations and said, I'm
475
:gonna move forward on some of them.
476
:And Found some money in her budget to
bring in yet more consultants, right,
477
:to basically vet the recommendations
that came from the community were
478
:actually the right recommendations.
479
:And attempted to also try and validate
the positions of the staff and probation
480
:there and wanted Community to work with
them to actualize these recommendations.
481
:So what I know as of now is
that there is a plan in place.
482
:That plan came from her findings to
rehabilitate and renovate Juvenile Hall.
483
:If I'm correct, the last
count was that there was 18
484
:young people in Juvenile Hall.
485
:I believe there was one girl, everyone
else, four girls, three girls and
486
:that the recommendation is, based off
of numbers, which we play all day at
487
:community based organizations, right,
really we only need like 20 beds.
488
:And that's really because no young
person should ever be held Uh, in
489
:Juvenile Hall because they are a ward
of the court and don't have placement.
490
:Which we know, a lot of times, is
what Juvenile Hall is used for.
491
:We were well aware of that when advocates
came forward to demand that Juvenile
492
:Hall be, be, deconstructed, put out
of its misery, and that we find some
493
:place in San Francisco to build this
secure place for young people to be.
494
:We were really told that the red tape came
from all of the permits and having to go
495
:to the community and survey the community.
496
:If we're going to put a house
in, we're going to put kids
497
:that have records in there.
498
:We're going to have to talk to
everybody in the neighborhood.
499
:Nobody's going to, want
to renovate a house.
500
:Nobody's going to want
to sell it to the city.
501
:There's very little properties.
502
:We were told everything under the sun.
503
:And ultimately, what I realized in
hindsight, it was because They never
504
:wanted to do it in the first place.
505
:Right.
506
:Socorro: The derailing to the goal.
507
:Krea: Yeah.
508
:So that's where we're at.
509
:Socorro: Wow.
510
:Go ahead, Alfredo.
511
:Alfredo: We're at 30 young
people detained to this date.
512
:Three are young ladies.
513
:Socorro: Thank you for that.
514
:When I think about you saying that
and I think about all the hours and
515
:the effort, one thing is, I was in a
conversation last night With Estela
516
:Garcia, we were talking about when
you are committed to this work, right?
517
:And you see it all the way through
and it takes from you, right?
518
:And I'm sure it's, it's been disappointing
that, people put a lot of time and a lot
519
:of hours, but also that 55 years later
we're talking about the same thing again.
520
:I remember my first trip coming
to RAP and Alfredo trained me, to
521
:do the workup, at, Juvenile Hall.
522
:And, um, you know, it was a benefit
that I spoke Spanish because we,
523
:there was a lot of young people
that were incarcerated during that
524
:time that were Spanish speaking.
525
:But what it took, right, and you present
a plan and you, you dream that the kid's
526
:gonna get out or the young woman's gonna
get out and, and then, nothing's put
527
:in place at home and There's so many
things going on and then they land back
528
:out at Juvenile Hall and at that time it
was really around battling with the POs
529
:because they were so uncooperative, right?
530
:And when I think about it, I think
the count is 88 staff up there and now
531
:Fred report telling us that there are,
probably understaffed and who knows
532
:what is really going on now, right?
533
:We don't have a Fred and a Ray
reporting with what's happening.
534
:So, thinking of that, I think, well,
what's, what's an action that maybe,
535
:Marlene, you can answer that may be
a recommendation because I know your
536
:work is, at a, at a larger scale and
talking about, getting people out
537
:of jail, what do we need to put in
place, let's talk about what could be
538
:something that What we know can happen,
but how should we move with this?
539
:Marlene: Yeah.
540
:I mean, I'll just say, uh, when
you asked who, like what, what
541
:happens, I mean, we know that the
longer somebody is incarcerated, the
542
:actually it decreases somebody's.
543
:Quality of life, it decreases
your ability to earn, earn more.
544
:There's, treating this, this
is a, a public health issue.
545
:And we know, right, that more
jails do not create public safety.
546
:We know police do not
create public safety.
547
:And so, but there are these incentives for
These institutions to continue to build
548
:I think we've, we've seen this over and
over again over the years, that there is,
549
:it is not driven by the fact that, like,
the data shows that it is actually caught
550
:that, that actually putting young people
in solitary confinement causes more harm,
551
:that the longer you have a young person
incarcerated, it's causes more harm.
552
:The data proves it, but the, the incentive
of these institutions continues to be
553
:to just continue to build something
bigger, put more beds, and fill them.
554
:We know that it is also racially motivated
because we know that this is, like, we
555
:know who's in these detention centers.
556
:at Ella Baker Center, we've been
tackling things via legislation.
557
:I mean, I think, I don't
have the solutions.
558
:I think it's gonna take like a
multi pronged solution, multi
559
:generational, I think every generation
is making some kind of impact.
560
:I know, when I was at the Young Women's
Freedom Center for, for 18 years, we were
561
:able to make some impact around even just
providing like gender responsive services.
562
:There was a time where that was like
unheard of, like, things like, Getting
563
:young moms visits with their kids or
like supporting young moms who had
564
:just given birth to like nurse their
children and and the fact that we needed
565
:to tend to to the specific needs of of
young people and, and I always think
566
:of that as like the, like the middle
era, from like what, what I'm hearing
567
:like Alfredo talk about and, and CREA.
568
:But we've been tackling, we've also been
tackling things with, with legislation
569
:that challenges the racism that
challenges the incentives to continue
570
:to, to, to build bigger juvenile halls.
571
:I think just shutting them
down is not enough, right?
572
:We know that they will, like, reinvent
themselves, they will grow a new head,
573
:and our approach has been, like, let's
empty them, and then let's shut them
574
:down, and then let's reimagine something,
but we are definitely up against a beast
575
:of, and, we are up against a system
that sees us as Profit, this is modern
576
:day slavery and not much has changed in
terms of like these are bodies of young
577
:people that they're gonna profit off
of, the consultants, the staff, I think.
578
:The fact that we can't find a
solution for 20 kids is, I just,
579
:I can't imagine that like We can't
build, like, build an alternative,
580
:but those incentives are not there.
581
:I think we've been critiqued in the, in
the process of, like, closing prisons.
582
:About not having a component
that addresses labor.
583
:So, but I think folks have,
have gotten really creative.
584
:We're definitely not trying to, because
now, even some of the, the staff
585
:at the California Youth Authority
that It's closing, and like, we're
586
:going to be violence interrupter.
587
:I'm like, the hell you are!
588
:Like, you caused the vio I mean,
you've been trained to be violent.
589
:And so, and we know cultureship
doesn't just happen overnight
590
:because you have a different title.
591
:Or you, you, you don't change
the culture of an institution
592
:because you changed the name and
put rehabilitation in front of it.
593
:And we've seen that strategy
over and over again.
594
:But yeah, I mean, we, we
definitely have to, to tackle.
595
:Yeah.
596
:Some of the, the, the
structural racism, right.
597
:And the incentives to continue to profit
598
:Socorro: off.
599
:Excellent point.
600
:Alfredo: Excellent.
601
:And here's the, I know you want,
here's the hypocrisy, right?
602
:One of the main issues is venue.
603
:Where do we do this?
604
:And the other hypocrisy is there's
major efforts to revitalize downtown.
605
:There's lots of vacant buildings
in San Francisco that we can
606
:refurbish to make this happen.
607
:But the hypocrisy of community safety and
citizen safety is bullshit because locking
608
:up kids does not make the community safer.
609
:It makes Angry young people.
610
:Okay?
611
:And we have an administration now
where the mayor has racially profiled
612
:a whole Latin American group to blame
the cause of the fentanyl crisis.
613
:Hello.
614
:These kids are not the
chemists making these.
615
:These are young people who are trafficked
and who are being taken advantage of.
616
:So when we have those kind of attitudes.
617
:In our city administration, we're not
going to get anywhere, but we could pour
618
:resources into, from vacant to vibrant.
619
:Why can't we have that resource to
get the venue for an alternative
620
:Socorro: Thank you.
621
:Right on.
622
:So part of this dialogue includes having
the audience, if you want to make a
623
:statement, this is the opportunity now.
624
:Go ahead and, and identify
who you are go ahead.
625
:Lariza: So, Larisa Dugan Cuadra,
Director of CARES in San Francisco.
626
:We have our team also from Second Chance.
627
:Thank you all for your interventions.
628
:So, two things I wanted to comment.
629
:To your point about
monetizing young people.
630
:I heard it's 300, 000
per youth at the hall.
631
:And when I did, you said 85 to 30
youth, it's like 3 staff to a youth.
632
:But in the community side, it's like
10 youth to a staff member, right?
633
:So the equation doesn't pan out in
terms of prevention and investments in
634
:our young people so they can thrive.
635
:So if you could speak a little bit about
the monet Let's go deeper, like, let's
636
:put the numbers on it about monetizing.
637
:But also, if you could talk about,
I was at RAP, also a staff member
638
:with Por Vida, I used to go in the
hall, do writing workshops with
639
:young, uh, Spanish speaking youth.
640
:And at the time, the city of San
Francisco was deporting young people
641
:back to their countries of origin.
642
:And those of us from Central America
know that the gangs in Central
643
:America were exported from California
from these detention centers.
644
:From juvenile hall, from the
criminal injustice system.
645
:And if you could reflect on
that, tell us a little bit about,
646
:because we're all connected, right?
647
:And so now we're like re criminalizing
young people, particularly migrants,
648
:even though this country, this state,
was a big catalyst for what's happening
649
:in the region in terms of gang violence.
650
:So if you could maybe speak to that.
651
:And Fred, if you could elaborate a little
bit more about the criminalization,
652
:the detention of migrants that are
not being released solely because
653
:they don't have Loving adults.
654
:Socorro: Go ahead, Alfredo.
655
:Well,
656
:Alfredo: foremost, we cannot change
the way we treat young people
657
:when we continue to model, like,
correctional facilities for adults.
658
:That's right.
659
:Okay.
660
:When you don't have that change of
culture, when you don't have staff buy
661
:in, one of the first recommendations
when we had these consulting groups
662
:come in is that they needed to get
rid of all the current staff members,
663
:because if they don't buy in, you
can't, uh, institutionalize the change.
664
:And I understand, because I am also,
uh,:
665
:member, and I'm shop steward, and
my union also represents the people
666
:that work in the institution, right?
667
:The so called counselors, who are,
for all purposes, guards, because
668
:that has not changed, right?
669
:And when we have The crises that
are happening in our home countries,
670
:the immigration flow, and young
people getting caught up in crime.
671
:The blatant racism that we see on
a daily basis because young people
672
:don't have the caring adults, right?
673
:We have to mobilize and we
find those caring adults.
674
:We, we, we, we find them.
675
:And we also have a scary moment coming up.
676
:We're going to have a change in the
judicial person that's going to run
677
:juvenile hall and the new person we're
having has made it very clear he's not
678
:sympathetic to these young people and
another issue we have many of these
679
:young people being arrested here are not
residents of our county they're coming
680
:from Alameda and what I fear right
now is that what we as an office have
681
:been doing to To represent these young
people where they have less damaging
682
:results, where they have pleas that
are immigration safe, are going to be
683
:lost because they're going to say that
these young people are not our county
684
:residents, let's resolve the matter and
send them back to their county of origin.
685
:So that's a very scary proposition because
the welfare institution Code in California
686
:says very clearly that we don't have
to do that, that we could treat young
687
:people on an informal supervision, right?
688
:But, again, probation officers
are tasked with, well, I can't do
689
:that, they're not in this county,
but yet us as providers can do it.
690
:All right?
691
:And I'm very fortunate that I'm from this
community and I continue to keep my ties
692
:with IFR, CARESEN, Horizons Unlimited,
that we're able to join together,
693
:present tangible, concrete alternatives
to the court for consideration.
694
:But we're also facing a conservative
court that's coming in and we have
695
:to pull together to make sure that
we're presenting viable alternatives.
696
:Competent alternatives, and I do believe
as a community we can do that, but we
697
:have to roll up our sleeves because this
is a new challenge that we're facing.
698
:Socorro: Right.
699
:Thank you, Alfredo.
700
:I know you had a question.
701
:Hi,
702
:Audience 2: everyone.
703
:My name is Tatiana Lewis.
704
:I'm an organizer with the Ella
Baker Center for Human Rights.
705
:I would say my question is, how do
we change the narrative of our youth?
706
:I'm formerly incarcerated, I'm now
25 years old, but my first time ever
707
:being incarcerated, I was 13 years old.
708
:A fight broke out at school, same
thing, and I was arrested at school,
709
:like the whole school actually seeing
me and three other individuals.
710
:took in a paddywacky and our parents
was like crying and things like that
711
:we was incarcerated for about a month
and then from there though the cycle
712
:was like violation after violation and
so it was a revolving door for me I've
713
:even been to the group homes I've been
to Euclid group home on 823 Euclid
714
:Avenue that's crazy I still remember
the address and so I'm just wondering
715
:now I'm a student at UC Berkeley now.
716
:Thank you.
717
:Socorro: Go Bears.
718
:Audience 2: And now I'm at the
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
719
:and just making a way and, uh,
making a change for our youth.
720
:And I'm wondering, like, how do we change
that narrative that people automatically
721
:think of black and brown individuals?
722
:Like, it's like when we come in a room,
they automatically, like, shut us down.
723
:They automatically close us out.
724
:And it's like, how do we
get us out of that box?
725
:Socorro: Thank you for your question.
726
:Crea or Marlene, you want to take it on?
727
:Marlene: I'll just start with
saying that yeah, it is critical
728
:that we change the narrative.
729
:I mean, we're just seeing sometimes,
we're just seeing some like, like
730
:the repetition of these narratives.
731
:And so, but what we know is that they have
a The, the, whatever you want to call it,
732
:the opposition, the enemy, I don't know,
whatever you want to call them have a,
733
:they, they've been consistent and they
have this, like, machine, right, that's
734
:been and they control the, the, the news.
735
:I mean, I think places like this, like,
these kind of podcasts is important.
736
:I think Larissa, what you were saying is,
like, the creating of alternative media
737
:but also I do feel like we need to have
a little bit more of like a coordinated
738
:effort to change the narrative because
by ourselves and our little organizations
739
:and like even if we're like a mid to big
size organization, it is small compared
740
:to the like the left's apparatus.
741
:Apparatus around creating this
like false narrative or the, that
742
:we are living in a time right now
where fear mongering is like what
743
:is driving even our, our politics.
744
:And so, it is not like by
coincidence and it isn't new.
745
:It is actually, old, but I don't,
a lot of us don't have the, the.
746
:The infrastructure to like
go against that alone.
747
:And so I definitely think like, how
do we join forces, create coordinated
748
:efforts and use multiple ways to
get in, in multiple media and,
749
:and owning or like media stream.
750
:'cause again, I mean some of.
751
:Mainstream media isn't picking it up and
saying like I want to do a story on this
752
:and we we try I mean we We definitely
try to hit them up as well, too.
753
:But we are gonna have to create our own
alternative media Lots of thoughts on this
754
:Socorro: but Korea you want to
755
:Krea: chime in Yeah, I mean, I think you
said something that was really important.
756
:You said, how do we change the
narrative for black and brown youth?
757
:And I think that that's really poignant
because, young people in the sunset,
758
:they do just as many dumb things as
kids in the Mission or in Bayview.
759
:In fact, in in Alameda County, Berkeley
has one of the lowest, uh, number of young
760
:people in, Alameda County's Juvenile Hall.
761
:And why is that?
762
:Because the majority of the kids that
get picked up there are white and the
763
:majority of them have access to lawyers.
764
:It's a small town where the police
officers know the families and they,
765
:as Alfredo was saying earlier, right?
766
:Like, kids get driven home.
767
:We don't get driven home.
768
:I think one of the other ways, like,
our storytelling is really important.
769
:The fact that we own our
narratives is really important.
770
:I think one of the things I've
always really loved about the
771
:programs in San Francisco.
772
:And the people that run the
programs is that they believe
773
:that young people are sacred.
774
:And, and, it's super important
that, that's instilled in
775
:young people constantly.
776
:The media is using our young
people right now to push a
777
:narrative around public safety.
778
:They are the scapegoat.
779
:And I think it's important
that we push back.
780
:And that we do that collectively.
781
:When we see these stories where
the headlines are really scathing
782
:and they're meant to evoke fear
because it's a group of young people
783
:or they want to glorify, right?
784
:It'll say something like, band of
young people and then you read the
785
:article and it's like two kids, right?
786
:Yeah.
787
:We have to be calling the news
outlets and demanding that
788
:they correct those narratives.
789
:We, the same way that we did when they
used to name our kids in the articles.
790
:And we fought back against them
putting our kids names in there
791
:for the sake of their future.
792
:Right?
793
:So there's a lot that can be done.
794
:I think the other thing is we
have to start looking at all
795
:of these fights more long term.
796
:They're not going to happen tomorrow, so
how are we chipping away at things today?
797
:And it does happen by, doing our own
storytelling, it does happen by getting
798
:as many people to write, editorials, it
does happen by utilizing social media.
799
:Which we know are young people pay
attention to and not just using it to
800
:say, that's messed up, but to actually
say, did you know that this is happening?
801
:Like, let me school you on some stuff.
802
:And young people are really great at that.
803
:I mean, I learned so much from
TikTok now, but I think it is really
804
:important that when people say I
can't believe how many young people
805
:are like out here doing crime.
806
:We say, really, where'd
you learn that from?
807
:What's the statistics?
808
:Where did that come from?
809
:Who told you that?
810
:Do you know anybody?
811
:Have you had your car broken into?
812
:Oh, that didn't happen in your community.
813
:Oh, you don't live there?
814
:Because pushing back makes people
go, Well, maybe, maybe I was wrong.
815
:You're right, that didn't happen to
me, and no, I am just fear mongering.
816
:So I think the more we push back,
we, we do start to create a sense
817
:of, like, questioning that requires
people to think more critically
818
:about what they're saying themselves.
819
:But also to think about what am I buying
into and how, how is it impacting me
820
:and the way that I'm seeing myself, my
safety, and, and am I fear mongering?
821
:Like am I actually pushing a
narrative that actually isn't true?
822
:Because I actually don't know
anybody that's got their car broken
823
:into and actually I've never, I've
never got my car broken into, right?
824
:Or I've never been.
825
:And that's, if you ask the majority of
people, they'll tell you that's the truth.
826
:I, I don't, that's never
happened to me, but I've heard
827
:it so much, I feel like it has.
828
:And perception becomes reality, right?
829
:That's right.
830
:And so, and the, and the
right knows that very well.
831
:Donald Trump, I hate to say his name,
but he got up so many times to say so
832
:many things that weren't true, and it
didn't matter whether they were true,
833
:because once they were out there.
834
:Perception became reality,
and he had tons of people that
835
:regurgitated that information.
836
:I'm not saying we should lie, but I'm
saying that we should make perception,
837
:the perception that we need to put
out there is the truth, and we need to
838
:reinforce that it's actually reality.
839
:That there are young people out here
doing great things, and there are
840
:community based organizations that
have been supporting those young
841
:people throughout their whole life.
842
:We have young people that are doing,
I mean, like, this whole neighborhood,
843
:I, I mean, there's so many young
people, including myself and Marlene,
844
:that, like, are doing great things
that once people thought we were bad,
845
:and I feel like that's That's the
case for the majority of young people
846
:that, end up engaging in the system.
847
:Marlene: Thank you for that.
848
:And this crime is going down, and
I just looked at some statistics
849
:around the theft, and we are like
down almost, at least in, in Alameda
850
:County 8 percent from last year.
851
:But why did they, were
there like a hundred anew?
852
:Police deployed, Highway Patrol
deployed into the streets
853
:because, that same reason.
854
:But, and crime is going down nationally.
855
:Alfredo: So, so data shows
that juvenile crime across the
856
:country, it's at its lowest.
857
:But how do we change that narrative
because, during the pandemic,
858
:the smash and grab, that's, that,
that makes headlines, right?
859
:And I, I'm just gonna say it, I'm not
a fan of Willie Brown, but Willie Brown
860
:has control of editorial power here
for the Chronicle and the Examiner.
861
:If you didn't know that.
862
:If, if you remember when his
administration was happening, he
863
:suppressed all the, all the stories about
crime and everything in San Francisco
864
:because of, of the tourist industry.
865
:Okay, but we are blessed to have
publications like Pacific News Service,
866
:The Beat Within, that humanizes the young
people that are involved in our system.
867
:And I'm forever thankful for Sandy Close.
868
:for bringing those things
into our juvenile hall.
869
:I am very thankful to Submission Local,
El Tecolote, for covering these things.
870
:And again, we look at the data, juvenile
crime across this nation is at a low.
871
:It is at a low.
872
:Socorro: Thank you for that, Alfredo.
873
:Thank all three of you.
874
:I mean, this is really, really important.
875
:I'm glad That the questions are
stimulating these thoughts and
876
:maybe even out of this comes a,
a roadmap to, to figure out, to
877
:move towards, the ultimate goal.
878
:If it is just repurposing that
facility or, keeping at priority
879
:how do we stop what's happening,
the dehumanizing of our children?
880
:That young people are incarcerated,
that the, the monetization, all these
881
:things that are happening, that we start
moving that, and you're right, Crea,
882
:this is not, this is a long term fight.
883
:This is a long one, and it doesn't
just, if we attack one thing,
884
:then we have to go after it all.
885
:And I think that collaboration and all
those words that people talk about,
886
:they work, but it's also about action.
887
:How do you take action?
888
:So, thank you for that.
889
:Yes, go ahead, your question.
890
:Audience 2: Shout out to the BeWithin!
891
:So, I was thinking about
892
:the BeWithin when I was
sitting up here earlier.
893
:Okay, so I have like three
894
:questions.
895
:My name is KD.
896
:I'm a formerly incarcerated person.
897
:I am associated in work for a
non profit and yada yada yada.
898
:But today, I'm just here
as a community member.
899
:I'm just here as an
impacted community member.
900
:My first question is, around the
901
:Krea: DJJ
902
:Audience 2: closure.
903
:Is there a realignment talk
904
:Krea: around that?
905
:Is the youth coming here?
906
:Is that why we're at the 30?
907
:Like, what's going on with that?
908
:Alfredo: Well, with the realignment of
the whole state of California with the
909
:closure of the California Youth Authority
or Department of Youth Justice, every
910
:county now in the state is tasked where
providing secure track is the term that
911
:is used where young people are committed
to long sentences in juvenile hall.
912
:Right now in San Francisco, the
longest commitment is a seven year
913
:commitment and again, Different
jurisdictions are doing it differently.
914
:Unfortunately, San Francisco is doing
a miserable job just because of the low
915
:numbers we have and they have not been
able to tailor any equitable Programming
916
:for these young people, we have barely
gotten computers for young people,
917
:laptops for young people in the secure
track in San Francisco to be able to do
918
:college or community college courses.
919
:It's been, uh, it's been ridiculous.
920
:The, the resources, the human
resources are not there.
921
:Alright, and as a county, we are failing
miserably, uh, we know other jurisdictions
922
:are more advanced just because of
the larger numbers, and it's a big
923
:responsibility for, for, for the different
jurisdictions to implement SecureTrack.
924
:And we're just lucky that our numbers
are low, but the young people that
925
:are committed long term to our
San Francisco school facility.
926
:are not getting the services they deserve.
927
:Socorro: Thank you for that.
928
:Is there another question?
929
:Audience 2: Yeah, and so my last
question is, like, what's the
930
:strategy, I guess moving forward, you
guys already said basically that the
931
:city and county didn't shut it down.
932
:We really ain't even talking
about closing this down no more.
933
:What's the strategy moving forward?
934
:Like, are we, can we point out
the 88 to the 30, the money, like,
935
:what's the strategy that we deploy
in moving forward to continue?
936
:Well, this fight to shut it down and
really put together something different.
937
:Socorro: Go ahead, Crea.
938
:Krea: So I'm going to be really honest.
939
:I don't have any faith in the city of
San Francisco to be able to shut down.
940
:I believe that what they're
trying to do is repurpose it.
941
:And when you slap lipstick
on a pig, it's still big.
942
:I think our only strategy is
to actually starve the beast.
943
:And that requires really strong
prevention and intervention programs.
944
:I think it's really important
to note that the same reason why
945
:we have young people going into
juvenile hall is the same reason
946
:why we have so many homeless people.
947
:Because there is not enough housing.
948
:And there is not enough treatment.
949
:And when I say that, and there's
not enough services that are created
950
:by the city that are on demand.
951
:And what I mean by that is it
should not take you two weeks to get
952
:into a program the minute that you
decide you want to get clean, right?
953
:The other problem is, is that we
see young people as one solo entity
954
:and the reality of it is, is that
they're part of a family unit.
955
:that actually needed support and
resources before that young person
956
:decided to start doing whatever it
was that ended up up in Juvenile Hall.
957
:When you start to have conversations with
parents, you'll realize that they had
958
:been asking for help a long time ago and
didn't get the help that they needed.
959
:And when they tried to get referred to a
service that could have been right around
960
:the corner, they were never referred.
961
:to that service.
962
:Probation, the, the year that we
started this process in:
963
:referred one kid to, there were 30
services that they could have provided
964
:them, referred them to, and, and
referred only one kid that year.
965
:That's a problem.
966
:And I don't see it getting any better,
not because it can't, but because of
967
:the ideology that people believe young
people are inherently bad, and that's
968
:now wrapped up in this whole idea that
like, in order for us to survive in San
969
:Francisco as employees of the city and
county, I need to keep my job, even though
970
:my job is inherently bad for young people.
971
:And we're not going to ever be able
to have a real conversation around
972
:shutting down Juvenile Hall unless
we start having that conversation.
973
:Yeah, that's right.
974
:Because fundamentally, like,
you have to have values that
975
:believe young people are sacred.
976
:And you have to believe that
families should be together.
977
:And you have to believe that families
can take care of each other if
978
:they had the things that they need.
979
:When you do that.
980
:You have families that can stay together.
981
:You have young people that can go home.
982
:You have resources that
a family can go to.
983
:You have a supportive network
that you can call on instead of
984
:calling the police on your own kid.
985
:Which a lot of parents don't realize is
harmful to their young person because
986
:they're going to end up on a track into
juvenile hall that they can't get out of.
987
:So, I personally don't believe that
the solution is about continuing
988
:to fight to close it down.
989
:We just need to get more coordinated
about the way that we serve young people
990
:and the way that we actually collaborate
together and it can't be about the money.
991
:It has to be rooted in the young
person and what we want to do for these
992
:families and we have to starve the beast.
993
:We have to just make sure that our young
people never touch that door to detention.
994
:Socorro: Starve the beast.
995
:Let's do that.
996
:Starve the beast training.
997
:This will be the last question
we'll take and then we'll come back.
998
:Julia Arroyo: Okay, so I'm julia
Arroyo I'm just here, born and
999
:raised in the city, but Sorry,
y'all, I'm giving y'all my last.
:
01:05:50,696 --> 01:05:55,086
We just had a really powerful training
with a lot of young folks, uh, to develop
:
01:05:55,086 --> 01:05:59,546
a speaker's bro to be able to combat
some of this messaging, but it's really
:
01:05:59,546 --> 01:06:03,776
from their voices and what alternatives
look like for them, so, uh, my question
:
01:06:03,776 --> 01:06:08,206
is around uh, prevention and the harm
reduction piece of it before I go off
:
01:06:08,206 --> 01:06:12,816
on a, uh, just giving a little bit
of testimonial from experiencing that
:
01:06:12,816 --> 01:06:14,616
facility as a really young person.
:
01:06:14,926 --> 01:06:19,516
I want to say that I first entered into
the system before I was even verbal,
:
01:06:19,866 --> 01:06:23,746
and that was through the foster care
system, through family separation.
:
01:06:24,286 --> 01:06:29,156
And through, uh, my journey there for
the search for what home was, right?
:
01:06:29,546 --> 01:06:32,666
And I navigated the
streets of San Francisco.
:
01:06:32,706 --> 01:06:37,026
Street economy only happens, really,
when you don't include the people, right?
:
01:06:37,366 --> 01:06:41,226
The young people, the families that
actually have built San Francisco,
:
01:06:41,226 --> 01:06:46,186
when you don't include an economy that
you can actually envision yourself and
:
01:06:46,186 --> 01:06:50,716
say, I could be that store owner, or
I could have that house, or whatever
:
01:06:50,716 --> 01:06:54,916
it is not a lot of us can look and
say that, like, I can do those things.
:
01:06:55,416 --> 01:06:59,526
And so, entering inside of that facility
as a young person I was in the search
:
01:06:59,556 --> 01:07:03,536
for a home, and I was navigating
that underground street economy.
:
01:07:03,971 --> 01:07:09,671
And I want to give a story that when I was
inside of that facility, that one of the
:
01:07:09,701 --> 01:07:14,961
counselors handed me a phone number and
he said, when you get out, give me a call.
:
01:07:15,721 --> 01:07:20,351
And then when I got out, I'm thinking
that this is another adult that is gonna,
:
01:07:20,561 --> 01:07:24,741
uh, support me, which propositioned
me for sex for a bag of coke.
:
01:07:25,311 --> 01:07:25,991
And so.
:
01:07:26,891 --> 01:07:29,861
Those are the type of things
that is personal to me.
:
01:07:31,131 --> 01:07:34,201
The closure of this facility is
very personal to me because I
:
01:07:34,201 --> 01:07:37,511
know firsthand the abuse that
happens inside of that facility.
:
01:07:38,926 --> 01:07:44,356
I now have been, had a calling to be into
this role as the co executive director
:
01:07:44,356 --> 01:07:51,246
of the Young Women's Freedom Center, and
right now there's a lot of talks about
:
01:07:51,326 --> 01:07:55,426
push back against harm reduction, that
it's just limiting our conversations
:
01:07:55,466 --> 01:08:02,041
to needle exchanges and things like
that, and we'll, and to me, like, When
:
01:08:02,041 --> 01:08:06,001
I was 15 years old, when we asked the
question of what would you tell your
:
01:08:06,001 --> 01:08:09,581
younger self, and I always say not a
damn thing, you couldn't tell me nothing,
:
01:08:10,041 --> 01:08:12,261
because I felt very alone at the time.
:
01:08:12,801 --> 01:08:16,871
And so, there needed to be some
type of harm reduction with me.
:
01:08:17,611 --> 01:08:22,631
I didn't, I didn't get to leave that
facility until my 18th birthday.
:
01:08:22,731 --> 01:08:26,261
That's when they, that's when they
said that, okay, that you can go now.
:
01:08:26,541 --> 01:08:28,921
And then I entered right into county jail.
:
01:08:29,501 --> 01:08:31,511
That was, that was my
next step right there.
:
01:08:31,761 --> 01:08:35,220
And so, can you give me like a
little bit of pointers or anything?
:
01:08:35,231 --> 01:08:36,551
Y'all are my predecessors.
:
01:08:36,691 --> 01:08:38,051
Y'all are my teachers.
:
01:08:38,060 --> 01:08:40,371
So, anything that you
could say on that piece?
:
01:08:42,431 --> 01:08:44,520
Alfredo: Well, the pipeline is real.
:
01:08:45,560 --> 01:08:46,621
The pipeline is real.
:
01:08:46,951 --> 01:08:49,560
One of the issues we have here
in San Francisco when we have the
:
01:08:49,560 --> 01:08:53,231
resources that are benefited to the
Juvenile Probation Department as the
:
01:08:53,231 --> 01:08:55,551
probation officers are the gatekeepers.
:
01:08:55,831 --> 01:08:56,701
for the referrals.
:
01:08:57,691 --> 01:08:59,031
And that needs to change.
:
01:09:00,191 --> 01:09:06,231
I access those services, but I have to
go to court and ask the judge to order
:
01:09:06,231 --> 01:09:08,261
probation department to make the referral.
:
01:09:08,631 --> 01:09:09,741
That should not happen.
:
01:09:10,011 --> 01:09:13,191
They have resources at their
fingertips and again, like you
:
01:09:13,201 --> 01:09:16,970
, uh,::
01:09:17,661 --> 01:09:20,551
They don't utilize the services
that are existing under their
:
01:09:20,551 --> 01:09:22,371
contracts, and that is a problem.
:
01:09:22,681 --> 01:09:25,881
As long as they're the gatekeepers for
the referral, it's not going to work.
:
01:09:27,671 --> 01:09:28,171
Socorro: Thank you.
:
01:09:28,890 --> 01:09:29,791
Kerry, you want to add
:
01:09:29,791 --> 01:09:30,151
Krea: to that?
:
01:09:30,151 --> 01:09:35,621
Yeah, I just, I really, you
know, There was a, there was
:
01:09:35,621 --> 01:09:40,651
a part of the recommendations
that called for these mentors.
:
01:09:40,651 --> 01:09:46,121
And when we had talked to a lot of young
people in those listening sessions,
:
01:09:46,121 --> 01:09:49,931
there were a couple of things that
really, like, became really finite.
:
01:09:49,961 --> 01:09:56,121
And, and one was that young people that
are on probation don't get the chance
:
01:09:56,191 --> 01:10:02,091
to actually build the skills that they
need to participate in the things that
:
01:10:02,091 --> 01:10:04,961
are going to keep them out of the system.
:
01:10:05,021 --> 01:10:06,171
I'll give you an example.
:
01:10:06,771 --> 01:10:08,981
Who knows what the first
condition of probation is?
:
01:10:14,416 --> 01:10:18,566
It's actually to not come
in contact with the police.
:
01:10:19,146 --> 01:10:20,526
The second one is to go to school.
:
01:10:22,636 --> 01:10:28,196
I spent maybe 12 days of my
7th grade year in school.
:
01:10:28,446 --> 01:10:32,416
The rest were on the bus and
probably like down here and like
:
01:10:32,416 --> 01:10:33,796
going around the city on the bus.
:
01:10:34,796 --> 01:10:37,066
I didn't have a practice
of going to school.
:
01:10:38,646 --> 01:10:40,026
When you're on probation.
:
01:10:40,371 --> 01:10:43,411
You're automatically expected to
go to school five days a week.
:
01:10:44,021 --> 01:10:49,131
If you had problems, if your problems
started in school, if the people, if
:
01:10:49,141 --> 01:10:53,381
you have been bused across the city to a
school because you got kicked out of the
:
01:10:53,381 --> 01:10:57,061
one that you were supposed to go to and
now you're in another neighborhood and
:
01:10:57,061 --> 01:10:58,701
you have to navigate how to get there.
:
01:10:59,251 --> 01:11:01,991
and you're crossing lines
that you're not supposed to,
:
01:11:02,041 --> 01:11:03,481
communities you're not supposed to.
:
01:11:04,371 --> 01:11:09,541
Like, you have to find ways to get there,
and I will tell you right now, I would
:
01:11:09,551 --> 01:11:14,881
rather go back to Juvenile Hall than I
would to get my ASPE in a community where
:
01:11:14,881 --> 01:11:18,991
nobody knows me, and I could possibly
lose my life trying to get to school.
:
01:11:21,541 --> 01:11:27,356
Why we don't give A leeway, while we
don't say the first 30 days, the first
:
01:11:27,366 --> 01:11:32,406
90 days of somebody on probation,
we allow for them to mess up, right?
:
01:11:32,436 --> 01:11:34,296
We allow for you not to go to school.
:
01:11:34,766 --> 01:11:38,266
We allow for you to, miss calling us.
:
01:11:38,316 --> 01:11:40,676
We as probation officers,
whatever it may be, right?
:
01:11:41,226 --> 01:11:43,256
Because you have to build that muscle.
:
01:11:43,256 --> 01:11:47,756
It's like going to a job and
like not expecting to mess
:
01:11:47,756 --> 01:11:49,476
up the first week, right?
:
01:11:50,546 --> 01:11:54,926
Why do we expect kids to go to school
five days a week when they haven't
:
01:11:54,926 --> 01:11:56,456
gone to school in three months?
:
01:11:57,166 --> 01:11:58,706
Can we start off with two days?
:
01:11:59,376 --> 01:12:01,546
Can we start off with three
days and work our ways up?
:
01:12:01,896 --> 01:12:04,296
Can we incentivize you when you get there?
:
01:12:04,646 --> 01:12:09,456
Because we know that young people's
desires are what need to be fed
:
01:12:09,536 --> 01:12:11,116
beyond just their needs, right?
:
01:12:11,736 --> 01:12:13,336
This is all harm reduction.
:
01:12:13,966 --> 01:12:16,076
These are all forms of harm reduction.
:
01:12:16,861 --> 01:12:20,741
Can we, can we find alternative
ways to get you to school?
:
01:12:21,201 --> 01:12:25,241
Can we give you a Lyft
Can we get your mom?
:
01:12:25,791 --> 01:12:26,841
Can we help her get a car?
:
01:12:26,871 --> 01:12:31,491
Because if we're spending 300, 000 on
a young person being locked up in, uh,
:
01:12:31,651 --> 01:12:34,721
Juvenile Hall, I'm sure we could use a
little bit of that money to get a car
:
01:12:34,721 --> 01:12:36,511
for somebody so you don't go back, right?
:
01:12:37,421 --> 01:12:41,691
But these are the ways in which, like, we
have to start thinking outside of the box.
:
01:12:41,691 --> 01:12:42,091
That's right.
:
01:12:42,661 --> 01:12:45,831
Because the box has been
built a long time ago.
:
01:12:45,841 --> 01:12:49,311
It's looked the same way,
like, God bless Ray Balbaron.
:
01:12:50,631 --> 01:12:55,461
Who first started this, when we started
this in::
01:12:55,541 --> 01:12:55,891
Yeah.
:
01:12:56,291 --> 01:12:58,091
And we said, we stand on your shoulders.
:
01:12:58,111 --> 01:12:59,191
You did this first.
:
01:12:59,221 --> 01:13:03,521
You, Roberto, Alfredo, we need
to know what are the lessons you
:
01:13:03,521 --> 01:13:07,031
learned from the work that you've
done and the fight that you did.
:
01:13:07,041 --> 01:13:09,481
And one of the first things he
said is, it's always going to
:
01:13:09,481 --> 01:13:10,701
go back to the community creole.
:
01:13:11,616 --> 01:13:12,936
It's, we are the answer.
:
01:13:14,136 --> 01:13:15,136
We're the answer.
:
01:13:15,176 --> 01:13:19,346
So the other thing is, is harm reduction
is also connecting young people to
:
01:13:19,346 --> 01:13:23,896
people in their community that they can
trust and making sure that those, those
:
01:13:23,936 --> 01:13:27,716
adults who have an investment in the
young person, not in their punishment.
:
01:13:28,146 --> 01:13:29,076
That's the problem.
:
01:13:29,096 --> 01:13:34,856
I'm not going to a program if I
don't come to that program, your,
:
01:13:34,916 --> 01:13:36,786
our relationship changes because
you're going to call my PO.
:
01:13:38,021 --> 01:13:41,981
These are all forms of harm reduction that
honestly don't take anything to do other
:
01:13:41,981 --> 01:13:45,841
than caring about the young person and
wanting them to win, wanting them to get
:
01:13:45,841 --> 01:13:50,871
off probation, wanting them to be whole,
investing in their families, making sure
:
01:13:50,871 --> 01:13:52,261
that they have the things that they need.
:
01:13:52,611 --> 01:13:55,311
A young person is not going to
stay at home if their PG& E is off.
:
01:13:56,841 --> 01:13:57,951
I can't be on my phone.
:
01:13:57,951 --> 01:13:58,851
I'm not gonna be home.
:
01:13:59,031 --> 01:13:59,951
I'm gonna be in the streets.
:
01:14:00,961 --> 01:14:04,601
Why can't we take some of that money
and actually pay phone bill, pay
:
01:14:04,621 --> 01:14:06,091
PG& E bills for a couple of months?
:
01:14:06,931 --> 01:14:11,541
Like we, we have to get innovative
and I'm gonna be really honest,
:
01:14:11,581 --> 01:14:14,521
it's on community to do that
because probation is not going to.
:
01:14:14,531 --> 01:14:15,121
That's right.
:
01:14:16,021 --> 01:14:16,701
Socorro: Thank you for that.
:
01:14:16,711 --> 01:14:21,051
And I was just, I leaned over
to Tell Alfredo that when
:
01:14:21,211 --> 01:14:23,701
rap was in its heyday, right?
:
01:14:23,931 --> 01:14:25,171
And I was blessed to be there.
:
01:14:25,171 --> 01:14:29,781
I was blessed to experience that, to
be creative, to think outside of the
:
01:14:29,781 --> 01:14:36,551
box with folks like Mitch, with Ray,
Ernesto Salazar, all these folks that we
:
01:14:36,551 --> 01:14:37,751
would say, how are we going to get them?
:
01:14:37,821 --> 01:14:39,378
and they need to back to school.
:
01:14:39,378 --> 01:14:41,261
They've never even been to school.
:
01:14:41,541 --> 01:14:46,141
Elisa Miranda was brilliant and she would
say, Socorro, you're expecting too much,
:
01:14:46,411 --> 01:14:48,121
because they haven't been in school.
:
01:14:48,331 --> 01:14:52,731
When I when I was the director of
the rap school, we had to dig deep
:
01:14:52,731 --> 01:14:55,911
and be creative and think what's
going to motivate them to get here.
:
01:14:56,421 --> 01:14:57,601
They don't know how to be here.
:
01:14:57,701 --> 01:14:59,951
They never were taught to be here.
:
01:15:00,381 --> 01:15:01,381
So what do we do?
:
01:15:02,696 --> 01:15:08,566
Creating incentives, uh, Breakfast
with Socorro, whatever it was, right?
:
01:15:09,006 --> 01:15:14,146
But I think if this, we as a
community, this community, has done it.
:
01:15:14,896 --> 01:15:21,576
Historically, they have proven that it
makes sense to reconnect the sacred child
:
01:15:21,796 --> 01:15:24,206
back to its community, to its family.
:
01:15:24,706 --> 01:15:29,376
Being, and I had asked Fred to
comment on that because that's
:
01:15:29,576 --> 01:15:31,906
why we're here, why RAMA was born.
:
01:15:31,916 --> 01:15:36,136
The RAMA Blueprints is the Real
Alternatives Media archive.
:
01:15:36,326 --> 01:15:38,136
It's the project to document.
:
01:15:38,471 --> 01:15:41,881
All the good things that were done,
the historical things that worked,
:
01:15:42,161 --> 01:15:47,411
the lessons learned, so that the new
generation of folks, they learn from that.
:
01:15:47,881 --> 01:15:52,051
You look up there and, and this
banner that we recreated, and stuff
:
01:15:52,051 --> 01:15:57,551
that it says La Casa, the, uh, the
En Barrio Warfare, the Youth Council.
:
01:15:58,251 --> 01:16:03,761
When I was talking to Jim about this, Jim
Queen, Darren and I, and to Ray the other
:
01:16:03,761 --> 01:16:08,221
day, Because I talk to Ray all the time
still, Ray still calls me, and he says
:
01:16:08,271 --> 01:16:13,461
what's missing is the youth leadership
and reconnecting it back to community.
:
01:16:13,881 --> 01:16:18,541
And so, I want to remind us of that,
and you reminded me of that right now.
:
01:16:18,581 --> 01:16:20,981
And Alfredo, I know you were
going to say something about
:
01:16:20,981 --> 01:16:22,636
that too, so, what do you think?
:
01:16:24,766 --> 01:16:27,746
Alfredo: So, I'm going to
pump my unit a little bit, uh,
:
01:16:27,756 --> 01:16:28,986
the Public Defender's Office.
:
01:16:29,396 --> 01:16:33,586
We have an educational attorney that's
assigned to every young person that we
:
01:16:33,586 --> 01:16:40,406
represent because education issues always
come up and we've been very successful
:
01:16:41,466 --> 01:16:48,256
in not having school issues be a reason
why to prolong or extend probation.
:
01:16:48,936 --> 01:16:52,266
Academics are not part
of the juvenile court.
:
01:16:52,726 --> 01:16:54,206
We're here to support them, right?
:
01:16:54,796 --> 01:17:02,216
I remember the development of the RAP
school as a tutorial center, GED, etc.
:
01:17:02,446 --> 01:17:06,961
But what we demonstrated to the city
and county of San Francisco, the unified
:
01:17:06,961 --> 01:17:09,651
school district, is we had retention.
:
01:17:10,471 --> 01:17:12,611
And what's this talk, well,
what do we mean by that?
:
01:17:12,721 --> 01:17:14,951
ADA, Average Daily Attendance.
:
01:17:15,221 --> 01:17:19,411
That's how the schools are funded
and that's how they responded.
:
01:17:19,800 --> 01:17:24,971
But I'm also very proud that through our
efforts to work on educational issues
:
01:17:25,221 --> 01:17:27,351
that we have great partners like Jaime.
:
01:17:27,971 --> 01:17:33,211
and Jody here, who run incredible
programming at downtown high school.
:
01:17:35,271 --> 01:17:39,191
They do amazing work, they meet the
young people where they're at, and
:
01:17:39,191 --> 01:17:41,401
of course, attendance is a struggle.
:
01:17:41,791 --> 01:17:46,281
But, we have to meet other needs of
young people to get them to school.
:
01:17:46,351 --> 01:17:50,721
There are many issues why True
MC exists, or why young people
:
01:17:50,721 --> 01:17:52,941
don't engage in education, right?
:
01:17:53,001 --> 01:17:59,946
But, to have Truancy and school attendance
as a part of extending probation,
:
01:18:00,556 --> 01:18:04,425
we're winning this battle here in San
Francisco because that's not the function
:
01:18:04,436 --> 01:18:05,616
of the juvenile probation department.
:
01:18:06,206 --> 01:18:06,616
Socorro: Thank you.
:
01:18:06,836 --> 01:18:07,246
Marlene.
:
01:18:07,796 --> 01:18:12,556
Marlene: Yeah, just, it was so well said,
so I don't have much to add, but I will
:
01:18:12,556 --> 01:18:17,186
say that to Julia's point, the, a lot of
the harm reduction work is under attack
:
01:18:17,186 --> 01:18:21,596
right now, I think in particular because
of what we are, are hearing and seeing
:
01:18:21,596 --> 01:18:27,766
around some of the fentanyl Uh, issues
and just, a reminder that harm reduction
:
01:18:27,786 --> 01:18:32,096
does work, that all of us are harm
reduction practitioners in different ways.
:
01:18:32,136 --> 01:18:36,175
We don't, I actually, I, I did
needle exchange, I did outreach
:
01:18:36,175 --> 01:18:38,156
and that is not the only way.
:
01:18:38,156 --> 01:18:42,836
I mean, I'm not going to repeat what,
what Krea and Alfredo have said, but
:
01:18:43,096 --> 01:18:47,458
it is really intentional right now what
we are seeing with the harm reduction
:
01:18:47,458 --> 01:18:52,918
community is that they are definitely
under attack and underfunded and there
:
01:18:52,918 --> 01:18:58,088
is this narrative we know how these false
narratives are playing out around, like,
:
01:18:58,138 --> 01:19:03,338
blaming the, the harm reduction community
for, for drug overdoses or, or, or what's
:
01:19:03,338 --> 01:19:08,218
happening, and so, yeah, again, we know
that, like, in every social movement,
:
01:19:08,218 --> 01:19:09,808
and, We have used harm reduction.
:
01:19:09,848 --> 01:19:14,358
We have developed the
solutions to the, the problems.
:
01:19:14,358 --> 01:19:17,538
The Black Panthers, they started
a free breakfast program.
:
01:19:17,538 --> 01:19:18,058
That's right.
:
01:19:18,268 --> 01:19:18,568
That's right.
:
01:19:18,577 --> 01:19:22,208
Like we've seen it over and
over again and we know it works.
:
01:19:22,238 --> 01:19:24,938
But yeah, just, I've just been
seeing and talking to a lot of harm
:
01:19:24,938 --> 01:19:28,638
reduction practitioners who are also
asking for community to come out.
:
01:19:28,853 --> 01:19:32,823
and support them because they are
out in the streets late at night
:
01:19:32,923 --> 01:19:34,583
really meeting people where they are.
:
01:19:34,613 --> 01:19:38,952
So when these agencies or these
programs have like a two week wait,
:
01:19:39,563 --> 01:19:42,739
it is the people that they're meeting,
so, I don't know if there's anything
:
01:19:42,739 --> 01:19:45,711
on the block or in the corner that
is, is actually creating those warm
:
01:19:45,711 --> 01:19:50,491
handoffs and, and helping folks
get to that, like, two week wait.
:
01:19:51,490 --> 01:19:53,580
Socorro: Well, there's
been a lot said, right?
:
01:19:53,590 --> 01:19:55,200
A lot of recommendations, a lot of.
:
01:19:55,255 --> 01:19:59,255
A lot of thoughts, a lot of
emotion, Este es un empiezo, this
:
01:19:59,255 --> 01:20:01,055
is a beginning of a dialogue.
:
01:20:01,365 --> 01:20:04,645
And I know there's been a lot of
meetings and a lot of recommendations
:
01:20:04,645 --> 01:20:09,145
and, and I think that from here,
basically, the ball's in your court.
:
01:20:09,215 --> 01:20:15,415
I think we can use this platform,
use this podcast to come back and
:
01:20:15,415 --> 01:20:19,915
talk more, do a follow up continue
to, maybe we get some of those heads
:
01:20:19,925 --> 01:20:21,385
that need to be held accountable.
:
01:20:21,905 --> 01:20:25,885
I was telling Crea and Marlene earlier
that I wanted to bring a couple of chains.
:
01:20:26,295 --> 01:20:33,389
If you know the story about Jim
Queen in 19 70 19 70, 19 70, he
:
01:20:33,389 --> 01:20:39,479
chained the doors of YGC and I almost
brought a set of chains today and
:
01:20:39,479 --> 01:20:44,349
I was gonna hold them here and say,
who wants to go chain YGC right now?
:
01:20:44,691 --> 01:20:45,741
that's like a physical act.
:
01:20:45,741 --> 01:20:48,501
You gotta, we gotta figure out
where we're gonna go from here.
:
01:20:48,651 --> 01:20:50,451
And I think as a community.
:
01:20:50,996 --> 01:20:54,806
There's a lot of work but there's
been a lot of, a lot of powerful
:
01:20:54,806 --> 01:20:56,076
work that's already been done.
:
01:20:56,476 --> 01:21:00,436
But again, this is an empiezo,
this is a start and this is
:
01:21:00,436 --> 01:21:02,096
the seed that we planted.
:
01:21:02,306 --> 01:21:05,756
And I know there's already gardens
out there, but this is a different
:
01:21:05,756 --> 01:21:08,366
seed, and I think we should,
we can continue to water it.
:
01:21:08,706 --> 01:21:11,606
Crea, and then Marlene,
and then Fred will close.
:
01:21:11,906 --> 01:21:12,286
Krea: Yeah.
:
01:21:12,656 --> 01:21:19,286
Well, I, I actually just wanted to, to
um, um, say that, young people are out
:
01:21:19,286 --> 01:21:24,386
here and they are taking up leadership and
they are the ones that are, in charge of
:
01:21:24,386 --> 01:21:26,036
this fight to close down Juvenile Hall.
:
01:21:26,046 --> 01:21:29,536
I want to give a shout out to the
Reimagine Youth Justice Coalition,
:
01:21:30,136 --> 01:21:34,626
which is comprised of young people from
Young Women's Freedom Center, from Five
:
01:21:34,656 --> 01:21:37,236
Elements, and from Coleman Advocates.
:
01:21:37,236 --> 01:21:41,796
And honestly, without them, they
showed up when, when those meetings
:
01:21:41,796 --> 01:21:42,966
were happening during COVID.
:
01:21:43,536 --> 01:21:46,166
And they were the ones that were
pushing to make sure that things
:
01:21:46,166 --> 01:21:47,476
that young people did not agree with.
:
01:21:47,946 --> 01:21:51,506
We're not getting passed in that closed
juvenile hall work group and they're
:
01:21:51,506 --> 01:21:55,606
still here and they're still fighting
and I ask for all of these organizations
:
01:21:55,606 --> 01:21:59,336
to have their back and make sure that,
they're not just put on a pedestal but
:
01:21:59,336 --> 01:22:03,416
that people really listen to them and
what they want because, the tokenism is
:
01:22:03,416 --> 01:22:08,675
real and even during those conversations
They were being told, oh, you don't,
:
01:22:08,736 --> 01:22:10,356
you don't really know what you want.
:
01:22:11,066 --> 01:22:13,526
But these are young people that
have experienced the system.
:
01:22:13,986 --> 01:22:16,076
They are young people that are
fighting for their families.
:
01:22:16,316 --> 01:22:18,326
They're fighting to stay in San Francisco.
:
01:22:18,846 --> 01:22:22,756
And they know that the, this issue
of homelessness and gentrification
:
01:22:23,026 --> 01:22:26,546
is intersectional with these
issues of juvenile and the
:
01:22:26,546 --> 01:22:27,996
criminalization of young people.
:
01:22:28,006 --> 01:22:29,976
So, I just want to give
a shout out to my folks.
:
01:22:29,976 --> 01:22:31,776
Socorro: Thank you, Crea, and
thank you for your presence today.
:
01:22:32,106 --> 01:22:34,216
Marlene: I mean, yes, I agree.
:
01:22:34,216 --> 01:22:38,956
When I think about, like, who are the
leaders, and I definitely can point
:
01:22:38,966 --> 01:22:44,576
to the youth and young people who are,
like, the bold truth tellers out here.
:
01:22:45,086 --> 01:22:49,675
And really, what is, then, our role
as, like, young elders in the work
:
01:22:49,706 --> 01:22:55,996
is, the elders in the work, is to But
continue to also like do our own work
:
01:22:56,356 --> 01:23:01,336
um, our own, continue to, to really
model our own healing and self care
:
01:23:01,696 --> 01:23:06,346
because many of us have like burnt out
and come back and and really, I think
:
01:23:06,346 --> 01:23:11,921
in every generation there's Critique
about like what was definitely passed
:
01:23:11,921 --> 01:23:16,741
down and what torches were passed and
I feel like when people talk about
:
01:23:16,741 --> 01:23:18,381
the Leadership that's out there.
:
01:23:18,381 --> 01:23:22,811
I feel like I could sit down because I
you know, I'm definitely not retiring
:
01:23:22,811 --> 01:23:27,561
because I'm you know, not there but But
it, it has been really inspiring to see,
:
01:23:27,581 --> 01:23:31,591
and, and this is not just in the closed
juvenile hall movement, but it is in the
:
01:23:31,591 --> 01:23:35,971
free Palestine movement, it is in all
of our different social movements, it
:
01:23:35,971 --> 01:23:39,741
is, and, and that has been historical
too, that young people have been at the
:
01:23:39,741 --> 01:23:45,771
forefront but man, this next generation is
like bold, and they are like unapologetic,
:
01:23:45,781 --> 01:23:47,861
and it is very inspiring, and so.
:
01:23:48,331 --> 01:23:48,951
Thank you for that.
:
01:23:49,001 --> 01:23:50,651
I'm a student now.
:
01:23:50,811 --> 01:23:51,261
Thank you.
:
01:23:52,021 --> 01:23:52,171
Socorro: Alfredo.
:
01:23:55,071 --> 01:23:59,271
Alfredo: I'd just like to say that I'm
very thankful for, for this community,
:
01:23:59,861 --> 01:24:04,151
the people who have mentored me, the
families and young people that let me
:
01:24:04,151 --> 01:24:08,351
into their lives, because we could be a
pain in the ass, right, because we were
:
01:24:08,351 --> 01:24:09,991
trying to help them do the right thing.
:
01:24:10,601 --> 01:24:14,071
Uh, I just celebrated my 60th birthday,
and I look back on my journey.
:
01:24:15,951 --> 01:24:16,591
Wow.
:
01:24:16,741 --> 01:24:20,481
And I'm really proud of the
accomplishments this community has done.
:
01:24:20,481 --> 01:24:26,550
And I just want to remind
everybody that our, our families
:
01:24:26,561 --> 01:24:29,071
out there are resourceful.
:
01:24:29,691 --> 01:24:30,611
They survive.
:
01:24:31,101 --> 01:24:31,981
They endure.
:
01:24:32,731 --> 01:24:35,291
And if we could just be there for
their time of need and help them.
:
01:24:35,901 --> 01:24:37,151
We are committed to that.
:
01:24:37,421 --> 01:24:39,300
And again, I'm thankful
for this community.
:
01:24:40,311 --> 01:24:40,971
Socorro: Thank you for that.
:
01:24:41,561 --> 01:24:45,531
Well, you have been listening
to the RAMA Blueprints podcast.
:
01:24:45,531 --> 01:24:46,961
Thank you for being with us today.
:
01:24:46,961 --> 01:24:48,151
My name is Socorro Gamboa.
:
01:24:48,151 --> 01:24:48,731
I'm your host.
:
01:24:48,989 --> 01:24:53,869
Wow, what a powerful and inspiring
evening of historical, educational
:
01:24:53,869 --> 01:24:57,619
dialogue, complete with powerful
testimonies and inspiration.
:
01:24:58,209 --> 01:25:01,989
Unfortunately, we have come to the
conclusion of this evening's live podcast.
:
01:25:02,609 --> 01:25:06,829
We remain hopeful that change is
inevitable and acknowledge that the
:
01:25:06,829 --> 01:25:12,059
work is not over, and will require the
tenacity, courage, and fortitude to go
:
01:25:12,059 --> 01:25:14,309
forward by whatever means necessary.
:
01:25:14,629 --> 01:25:19,818
to shut down the Youth Guidance Center
and continue to prioritize humanity,
:
01:25:20,079 --> 01:25:25,609
compassion, and wellness before
criminalization and dehumanization
:
01:25:25,659 --> 01:25:27,669
of all our youth and their families.
:
01:25:28,119 --> 01:25:31,419
Remember, the youth aren't the
criminal, the institution is.
:
01:25:31,989 --> 01:25:37,129
We want to thank our panelists, community
warriors and leaders, Alfredo Borges,
:
01:25:37,379 --> 01:25:41,568
Marlene Sanchez, and Krea Gomez for
their comments and participation.
:
01:25:42,129 --> 01:25:44,859
We would also like to thank
Brava Women for the Arts.
:
01:25:45,199 --> 01:25:51,019
for the use of this beautiful space and
the BRAVA staff, CARECEN SF and its staff
:
01:25:51,029 --> 01:25:55,499
for the continued support as both our
community partner and fiscal sponsor.
:
01:25:56,159 --> 01:26:01,859
Thank you to Juan Rivera, Kevin Rios
Ruiz of CARECEN SF's marketing team,
:
01:26:01,859 --> 01:26:07,068
Roban San Miguel for the blessing
and palabra, and Elena Royale.
:
01:26:07,089 --> 01:26:11,219
We also send a big thank you to our
community partners, Instituto Familiar
:
01:26:11,279 --> 01:26:13,809
de La Raza, the Pacific Resource Hut.
:
01:26:14,619 --> 01:26:19,099
And to our sponsors, the San Francisco
Foundation, Change Elemental, and
:
01:26:19,099 --> 01:26:23,229
the many individuals who graciously
gave donations to RAMA Blueprints.
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No act of kindness, no matter
how small, is ever wasted.
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01:26:27,459 --> 01:26:29,699
We appreciate your love and support.
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This episode, live podcast, is
dedicated in memory of Noah Gamboa.
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My nephew, a beautiful and brilliant
person who loved the theater lights and
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became a Master Lighting Technician and
a member of our RAMA Podcast Tech Team.
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We will miss you, Noah, sore like
the eagle, rising high amongst
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01:26:49,499 --> 01:26:51,619
the clouds, until we meet again.
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01:26:52,209 --> 01:26:56,049
We humbly ask that you support
this podcast by donating to the
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01:26:56,079 --> 01:27:01,169
RAMA Blueprints Podcast by visiting
our donation page at CARECENSF.
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01:27:01,189 --> 01:27:01,479
org.
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01:27:02,019 --> 01:27:06,981
And remember To listen is to heal.
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All power to the people!