Juvenile Programs
Juvenile Transitional Programs
Our Juvenile Hall Transition program seeks to bring in curative cultural and spiritual development opportunity for our incarcerated youth. Our primary goal is to provide specialized support to our youth while they navigate a system that is not built for them. With the understanding that youth must be treated as youth, Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos seeks to counter the criminalization of our young people by bringing in youthful activities, meaningful lessons and healing words. In doing so, we mean to say that when our youth is given a chance to heal they can break cycles of recidivism and stand against oppression.
Our approach is culturally-competent, spiritually-informed and family-focused. Our curriculum adapts historic examples, cultural principles, spiritual consciousness, self-esteem, forgiveness, authentic self, family relationships, family reunification, career development, and educational attainment. These lessons are then applied to active opportunities to play out youth’s developed knowledge.
As youth begin to grow in the ways which make sense for them, we continue community connection through opportunities to provide wrap-around services. Our connectivity with our youth’s families also allows us to remain easily accessible when needed.
This process always shows how resilient, bright, and capable our young people are. Through cultural and spiritual connection, we witness our incarcerated youth seeing themselves as the change-makers and leaders that they truly are.
WELCOME HOME
Alexis joins us at SC Barrios Unidos after completing his term in the California Youth Authority. We welcome him and others like him to join our juvenile programs. He offers insight into alternatives to juvenile incarceration.
