Coalition Launches Campaign to Boost Youth Program Funding

A coalition of California foundations involved in efforts to prevent violence has kicked off a campaign to encourage state legislators to provide more money for youth programs.

“We put a lot of weight in prisons and incarceration,” said California Wellness Foundation President Gary Yates. “It’s time to look at some successful new beginnings, such as full-service schools, mentoring programs and teen courts, all of which seem to have great track records.”

The Resources for Youth Campaign is part of a $35-million violence prevention initiative. The effort included a statewide video conference at the Biltmore Hotel where hundreds of educators, youths and politicians gathered Wednesday to discuss effective intervention programs.

Speaking at the conference was 20-year-old Jeremy Estrada, now a biology student at Pepperdine University. Estrada grew up in East Los Angeles, where he joined a gang after leaving home at the age of 11.

He said he spent his teenage years in and out of juvenile halls for gang-related assaults until he was given the opportunity to participate in Rite of Passage, a youth program in Nevada.

Rite of Passage gave Estrada the tools to succeed through discipline and athletic activities, he said.

“Looking back, it’s the best thing that ever happened,” he said. “If I hadn’t gone, I’d either be in prison or dead.”

The conference also featured “Teen Court,” a program where young first-time offenders can be tried for nonviolent crimes before a jury of high school students.

“It’s positive peer pressure,” said Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Jaime Corral, who has set up such courts at eight high schools.

In addition to the video conference, the campaign also took a poll of 1,700 California voters about how to address youth violence issues.

“What we found is that people are overwhelming in support of investing public dollars in prevention and intervention,” said Frank Acosta, director of the Violence Prevention Initiative, an effort financed by the coalition. “In addition, over 80% of voters polled say it is never too late for youth.”

Public opinion, Acosta said, “is way ahead of state legislation on how to approach youth violence. We are saying you don’t want to put the entirety of your focus after the youth have had contact with the justice system. What you want to do is invest in the front end.”