Impact Alameda Spring/Summer 2022

IMPACT ALAMEDA

Spring/Summer 2022

Juvenile Justice in Alameda County:

We’re on Our Way but More Needs to Be Done for Our Children

Is a Landlord Using Your Felony Conviction Against You? Here’s What You Can Do

Justice = Jobs:

Organization Prepares Youth for Jobs, Education Opportunities

In This Issue Juvenile Justice in Alameda County:

We’re on Our Way but More Needs to Be Done for Our Children - 3 Reforming Reform:

The Future of Juvenile Justice in California - 5 The Art of Justice:

Oakland’s EastSide Arts Alliance Offers Classes, Bookstore - 9 A Voice for Victims:

Cal NAACP Is Clearing Criminal Records for Free - 11 Justice = Jobs:

Organization Prepares Youth for Jobs, Education Opportunities -15 COVID in Alameda County:

A Church Is Offering Free Tests -19 A “Fresh” Approach:

F.L.Y. Reimagines Opportunity for Young People -21 Is a Landlord Using Your Felony Conviction Against You? Here’s What You Can Do - 24

California Black Media and the Oakland Post newspaper created this resource guide with the support of the California Community Reinvestment Grant Program.

Executive Editors Regina Wilson Paul Cobb Gay Plair-Cobb

Editor

Tanu Henry

Designer

Chida Rebecca

Editorial Team

Brenda Hudson Edward Henderson Antonio Ray Harvey McKenzie Jackson Joe W. Bowers

Photography

Auintard Henderson

2

For feedback, tips or suggestions, contact us: via email at info@cablackmedia.org or call 510-402-1865

Juvenile Justice in Alameda County: We’re on Our Way but More Needs to Be Done for Our Children Paul Cobb | Publisher of the Post News Group It seems too much money in this case is too little.

Alameda County spends $493,000 per year for each kid in its juvenile detention facilities but crime and recidivism remain high.

law or without reconsidering the actions that landed them in jail.

In 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 823 into law requiring the state to transfer all youth committed to the California Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to their counties of residency.

It also calls for the closure of DJJ by June 30 of this year.

The California juvenile justice system is reorienting itself, pivoting to emphasize education, treatment, and rehabilitation over punishment.

But before we move on, let’s pause, and take an honest look at the history of a system that was broken and has been in disarray for many, many decades.

As of July 1, 2021, to support the successful implementation of SB 823’s transition and ongoing programming and interventions, the state established the Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR) within the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS).

Plagued by scandals, abuse, and overspending since its creation 80 years ago, the state is taking steps in the right direction by transferring responsibility for managing all youthful offenders from the state to local jurisdictions through a process known as realignment.

The Alameda County Probation Department (ACPD) is expanding its juvenile detention programs to align with SB 823 also.

Adapting a model that is restorative and reparative for the men, women and children who commit crimes is not at odds with maintaining a criminal justice system that aspires to fairness – one that upholds and defends the rule of law. Punishment, including incarceration, should act both as a deterrent to crime and restitution for offenses against society. But people should not be released from prison, and enter back into society, without altering the mindset that led them to breaking the

Juvenile detention under the OYCR plan is expected to reduce racial and ethnic disparities, and increase community-based responses and interventions.

Currently, the systems of county probation departments, juvenile courts, local school districts, and child welfare and behavioral health departments all deal with the punishments of juveniles after they commit offenses.

In addition to local law enforcement, county probation departments are also responsible for operating juvenile halls, camps, and ranches. At the state level, the DJJ, formerly called California Youth Authority, maintains three secure facilities and a conservation camp for lower-risk offenders.

3

According to a 2020 report by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, ‘Reimagining Youth Justice: A Blueprint for Alameda County,’ California and Alameda County have seen consistently declining incarcerated youth populations over the past 20 years.

The total number of youths in state youth prisons under the Division of DJJ had fallen to 317 youths in 2018, almost half of the population in 2006.

Black people make up just 10% of Alameda County’s general population but Black children accounted for 71 % of the Camp Sweeney’s population, and 67% of the kids in juvenile hall.

Comparably, in Alameda County, the number of young people in juvenile detention had dropped dramatically from 43 youth in 2006 to four in 2018, according to the Ella Baker Center report.

Despite constituting about 10% and 23% of the Alameda County population, Black and Latino youth represent 67% and 25% of youth, respectively, in Juvenile Hall.

Named for Ella Baker, an unsung hero of the civil rights movement, the mission of the Oakland-based center is designed to end mass incarceration and to work to advance racial and economic justice that ensures dignity and opportunity for low-income people and people of color.

Over the last decade, Alameda County had experienced a significant reduction in the number of youths detained in juvenile hall or group-home placements. The county probation department has done its part with innovation and effective programs to reduce youth incarceration.

The 42-page report, authored by Amisha Kambath, also stated that Black youth are approximately 113 times more likely than their White peers to be arrested and charged with felonies.

Transforming the criminal justice system is the key focus of everything for the center.

ACPD will further decrease the number of lockups through a California law committed to fixing a fractured system. When he took office in 2019, Gov. Newsom announced his intentions to dismantle the California juvenile justice system as we know it. It costs Alameda County an average of $23,000 per year for each young person on probation.

Notably, the ACPD’s mission is to serve justiceinvolved youth in their communities, where they can be surrounded by natural support systems and local resources. The department managed Juvenile Hall and Camp Sweeney facilities.

When he signed SB 823 on Sept. 30, 2020, it was clear that life-changing options for young people were achievable in the youth justice system and the law would best serve them closer to their home communities and families.

Camp Wilmont Sweeney is a 50-bed minimumsecurity residential program for adolescent males ranging in age from 15 through 19. Camp Sweeney is in the process of implementing a level-based treatment program model that emphasizes change, growth, and progress.

As the state moves closer to completely phasing out DJJ it would be wise for all 58 counties to make efforts along the lines of what ACPD has been trying to accomplish: providing the resources to keep youth out of the criminal justice system.

With an overall juvenile justice budget of $156

4

million, Alameda County spends approximately $493,000 per year for each kid in its probation-run juvenile detention facilities, the Ella Baker Center reported. Nearly one in three of those young people will be re-convicted after release.

Reforming

The Future of Juvenile Justice in California

By McKenzie Jackson For Samual Brown, co-founder of the Anti-Violence Safety and Accountability Project and his wife, Jamilia Land, who is also an activist, criminal justice reform in the Golden State does not involve locking away youth offenders and tossing away the key.

“The answer is not putting them inside a baby jail preparing them for an adult jail,” said Brown, who was imprisoned for two decades beginning at 19 years old.

“The answer is to get them into a program that allows them to speak, talk about what they are going through, to participate in activities that are not available in their immediate surroundings,” Brown continued. “By doing that, we teach them social-emotional learning and plant seeds of pro-social behavior and change their course. We need an entirely new approach to how we deal with criminality.”

California’s newly formed Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR) focuses its programs more on rehabilitating young people than punishing them.

The OYCR, a division of the California Health & Human Services Agency (CalHHA), was created as part of the state’s overhaul of the juvenile justice system, which will close three of California’s four juvenile justice facilities by July 2023. Instead, it will provide rehabilitation services to incarcerated youth ages 13 to 25 at facilities in their home counties.

OYCR, said Dr. Mark Ghaly, CalHHA’s secretary, hopes to give imprisoned youths the best chance to be successful in their community.

“This is a total reform here,” he remarked. “In truth, a juvenile

5

justice record is often a fast track into the adult justice system, which is one of the deadliest systems you can be in. We know this is an issue that plagues Brown and Black communities,” he said. “The need for a reformed approach in the way we are talking about is needed. Treating young people as juvenile offenders doesn’t pay out in the long run.”

There are approximately 650 inmates, over 80 percent Black and Latino, in the four state facilities for young people run by California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Division of Juvenile Justice: N.A. Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility (YCF) and O.H. Close YCF in Stockton, Ventura YCF in Camarillo, and Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp in Pine Grove.

The reformed approach Ghaly envisions features young people that are jailed for low-level crimes enrolled in substance-abuse services, programs aimed at developing their vocational or other interests, and offering social work or counseling services readily available to help the youths and their families.

The bill set in motion a realignment for the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ).

The agency stopped accepting new juvenile offenders last June and set a closure date of June 30, 2023, for three DJJ jails.

“The key is to be developmentally focused,” Ghaly said. “To create programs that support the emotional, social, and health well-being of young people so they can thrive. This starts with developmentally focused, traumainformed services.

It is meaningful services around education, vocation, and job support. It means family engagement. Restoration. Rehabilitation. Not in the old sense of the way we had rehab for a broken convict,” he said. “It’s something that says young people are still in the process of developing their brain, developing their choices, developing their understanding of the world, and how they fit into it.”

The changed juvenile justice approach comes in the wake of a national movement to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system after an era of mass incarceration.

California and other states are now moving to cut inmate populations and shutter some prisons. Two bills signed into law last year -Senate Bill (SB) 823 and SB 92 – are among initial steps in California’s rehauling of how it handles locking up teens and young adults.

6

Pine Grove will remain open to train eligible youth in wildland firefighting skills. By the end of June 2023, the other youths will be transferred to facilitates run by the counties where they are residents.

Last year, the coronavirus pandemic delayed the transfer of youths from state to county facilities, but the moves are expected to begin this year.

Ghaly said the pandemic slowed everything down including the hiring of people for positions to get programs running but noted OYCR has received action plans from all 58 California counties on how they will provide housing and rehabilitation services to youth offenders.

Corrections earmarked $9.6 million in funds for the Regional Youth Programs and Facilities Grant Program provided by SB 823 to help counties with infrastructure-related needs and improvements in preparation for the transfer of the youth inmates.

More dollars are needed, though. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2022-23 budget includes a $100 million one-time general fund for grants given out by the BSCC to support the improvements counties need to make sure their facilities can be “conducive to serving justice-involved youth with a wide range of needs, with a focus on supporting trauma-informed care, restorative justice, and rehabilitative programming,” the budget summary reads.

Ghaly said OYCR’s next steps involve sending more funds to counties including $20 million allocated for technical assistance and support after his department reviews and responds to the jurisdictions’ proposals.

He said advocates and government officials are eager to see big strides made in restructuring the state’s juvenile justice system because “real lives are attached to the delays.”

“These are young people not receiving the program we have a vision for,” said Ghaly adding that there is cautious optimism.

“We can deliver for these young people. I’m excited about where we are heading.”

The OYCR’s new director, former Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Katherine Lucero, was Brown, the criminal justice reform advocate, hired in December. hopes any programs put in place have adequate funding to help incarcerated youth “I think she is going to be really turn their lives around. tremendous,” Ghaly said of Lucero. “If we hadn’t had the pandemic, it might have “A perfect juvenile justice system is one happened six or eight months ago, but these where - when a child comes in contact with are things you don’t want to rush. This is law enforcement, instead of putting them such important work. Right now, there is still in the system and giving them felonies and a lot of work at the community and county records, we take them, assess their needs, level to make sure we have the facilities, the put them in the programs they need, and programs, the staff to be able to serve young redirect their life,” Brown emphasized. people.”

The Board of State and Community

East Bay Community Law Center Law www.ebclc.org 510-269-6638 1950 University Ave Ste 200, Berkeley, CA 94704

Pacific Center for Human Growth LGBTQ counseling services https://www.pacificcenter.org/ 510-548-8283 2712 Telegraph Avenue Berkeley, CA 94705

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) Justice Reform https://self-sufficiency.org/ (510) 649-1930 1918 University Ave. #2A, Berkeley, CA 94704

Womens Daytime Drop-In Center Daytime drop-in center for homeless single women & women with children https://www.womensdropin.org/ 510-548-2884 2218 Acton Street Berkeley, CA 94702

Berkeley Food & Housing Project Homeless shelter https://bfhp.org/ 510-649-4965 3225 Adeline Street, Berkeley, CA 94703

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund Disability education, training, legal advocacy, and technical assistance https://dredf.org/ 510.644.2555 3075 Adeline Street, Suite 210 Berkeley, CA 94703

Berkeley Food & Housing Project Women's Overnight Shelter for homeless women https://www.shelterlistings.org/ details/19291 (510)-649-4965 2140 Dwight (& Shattuck) Berkeley, CA 94703 Options Recovery Outpatient Services Outpatient substance abuse treatment program http://optionsrecoveryservices.org/ (510) 666-9552 " 835 Allston Way Berkeley, CA 94704

East Bay Community Law Center Free legal services to eligible clients living in Berkeley, Oakland and Emeryville https://ebclc.org/ 510-548-4040 2921 Adeline Street Berkeley, CA 94703 Alameda County Homeless Action Center Legal services to homeless, low-income and mentally ill people.

http://homelessactioncenter.org (510) 540-0878 3126 Shattuck Avenue Berkeley, CA 94705 Berkeley Drop In Center Homeless, mental health, general assistance https://www.acnetmhc.org/berkeleydrop-in-center 510-653-3808 3234 Adeline Street Berkeley, CA 94703 East Bay Food Not Bombs Food, meals https://eastbayfoodnotbombs.org/ (510) 332-6535 2700 Dwight Way Berkeley, CA 94704 Youth Emergency Assistance Hostel (YEAH!) Counseling and case management services (jobs, education, government assistance program help) https://covenanthousecalifornia.org/ yeah-shelter/ (510)-704-9867 1744 University Ave Berkeley, CA 94703 Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) Homeless, poor, and disabled people achieve health and self-sufficiency https://self-sufficiency.org/ (510) 649-1930 1918 University Ave, Suite 2A Berkeley, CA 94704

7

Berkeley Free Clinic Primary health https://www.berkeleyfreeclinic.org/ (510) 548-2570 2339 Durant Avenue Berkeley, CA 94704

housing http://www.buildhouse.org/ 510-845-2744 2110 Seventh St Berkeley, CA 94710

Downtown Streets Team Case management and employment services https://www.streetsteam.org/index (510) 390-3512 2420 Channing Way 207 Berkeley, CA 94704

Center for Accessible Technology Operation Dignity Tech services for people with Assists homeless veterans and their disabilities Homeless Action Center families https://www.cforat.org/ Community support and services https://operationdignity.org/ (510) 841-3224 http://homelessactioncenter.org/ (510) 287 – 8465 3075 Adeline, Suite 220 (510) 540-0878 3850 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley CA 97403 3126 Shattuck Avenue Suite 102 Berkeley, CA 94705 Emeryville, CA 94608 Center for Independent Living Disability support services Lifelong Medical Center Bay Area Outreach and Recreation https://www.thecil.org/ Primary care and testing Program 510-841-4776 https://www.lifelongmedical.org/ Recreation for adults and children 3075 Adeline Street, Suite 100 (510) 981-4100 with disabilities Berkeley CA 97403 2344 Sixth Street https://www.borp.org/ Berkeley, CA 94710 510-849-4663 Easy Does It 3075 Adeline Street, Suite 200 Disabilit emergency services Alzheimer's Services of the East Bay Berkeley, CA 94703 https://easydoesitservices.org/ Adult day health care services (510) 845-5513 http://aseb.org/ Bonita House Berkeley 3271 Adeline St. Unit B (510) 644-8292 Mental health and substance abuse Berkeley CA 97403 2320 Channing Way https://bonitahouse.org/ Berkeley, CA 94704 (510) 809-3004 Through The Looking Glass 1802 Fairview Street Disability services and family support Berkeley, CA 94703 https://lookingglass.org/index.php (510) 848-1112 Berkeley Youth Living with 3075 Adeline St 120 Disabilities Berkeley CA 97403 (Build House)"Disability community

8

The

of Justice:

Oakland’s EastSide Arts Alliance Offers Classes, Bookstore

By Antonio Ray Harvey

9

T

he EastSide Arts Alliance (EAA) is located on International Drive in the San Antonio district of Oakland.

A Community center and cultural hub, EAA offers youth in “Oak Town” exposure to the arts, education and organizing through a number of programs that teach children life skills, hone their artistic talents and channel their energies to bring about change in their communities.

The center also has a bookstore called Bandung Books that bills itself as “a third world community bookstore.” It offers titles with a progressive bent on arts, history, culture and civil rights, biographies of artists and activists, and more.

The center also organizes seminars and workshops led by leading local voices representing a range of interests and occupations. Festivals and block parties are frequently organized, too, celebrating the beauty and diversity of the cultures that enrich the neighborhood – and the broader East Bay region.

“We support a creative environment that improves the quality of life for our communities and advocates for progressive, systemic social change,” states an informational video on EAA’s website.

The center is known for its history as a political hub and point of cross-cultural collaboration for several famous African

10

American, Latino, Asian American and Native American politicians and artists. Amiri Baraka, who is widely considered the founder of the 1960s-‘70s Black Arts Movement was once involved with the alliance as a collaborator and supporter.

A number of local artists, activists and organizers volunteer at EAA, sharing their knowledge and experience with the young people and community.

One teenager involved in an arts program at EAA says it’s a place where she can express herself artistically.

“It has a whole lot of resources that are not at any other place that I know,” she said. “If there’s anybody who is an artist, a poet, a rapper – or has any form of artistic ability – I feel like this is a great place for them.”

One young man says he appreciates the community organizing that originates at the center.

“We get to go out into the community and make it a better place,” he said.

Due to the pandemic, EAA has adjusted hours.

The bookstore is also opened from Thursday through Saturday 12 pm- 5 pm for in-store shopping.

For more information, contact the center via its website at www.eastsideartsalliance.org

A Voice for Victims:

Cal NAACP Is Helping to Clear Criminal Records for Free

I

By Bo Tefu t costs thousands of dollars in California to clear a criminal record of a felony or misdemeanor, but now people can get their record expunged for free with the help of the California State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

The NAACP’s expungement workshops aim to help Black people remove nonviolent charges, “which have affected their ability to obtain employment,” said Rick Callender, president of the NAACP California-Hawaii State Conference.

“Our expungement program is the best kind of advocacy program that we can put out into the community. We know that African Americans and other people of color are charged the most and end up serving the most time,” said Callender.

The criminal justice system has disproportionately affected Black people in the United States as a result of the War on Drugs, a federal government-led effort that claimed to end the trade and distribution of drugs in the 1970s. However, the national campaign created a vicious

cycle of mass incarceration in Black communities that affected generations of Americans, particularly low-income families.

The NAACP says the majority of participants taking advantage of the expungement program were convicted on “wobbler charges –indictments determined by a prosecutor’s recommendation for whether an individual should face felony or misdemeanor penalties based on their criminal history.

“These wobbler charges and the criminal justice system have impeded upon African Americans and their ability to get jobs and housing,” said Callender.

“It’s important for the organization to facilitate this program in order to tackle institutional racism in the criminal justice system,” he said.

“These kinds of programs even the playing field for African Americans,” he said.

The NAACP expungement program was implemented to reconcile the crippling impact of mass incarceration on the Black community in California. The program

which started in September 2019 has helped thousands of formerly incarcerated people get their records clean. Program coordinators work with local governments to waive fees for the expungement process.

Clearing of criminal records can take anywhere from 30 days to six months depending on the number of charges that need to be removed.

The NAACP California State Conference partnered with seven local counties including Alameda County and the Clean Slate Program to start the expungement process at zero cost for people enrolled in the program.

“If you've received a misdemeanor, felony, or some kind of wobbler charge, it keeps you from being able to be able to move forward,” said Callender.

“This is truly the great equalizer of advocacy for economic justice,” he said.

Program coordinators in the NAACP work with public defenders and attorneys to host monthly workshops for low-income people who were convicted of a misdemeanor or felony for nonviolent

11

East Bay Family Defenders Family Preservation https://eastbayfamilydefenders.org/ (510) 671-0063 101 Callan Avenue Suite 210 San Leandro, CA 94577 Hively Child Care https://behively.org/ (510) 483-6715 2208 San Leandro Boulevard San Leandro, CA 94577 Davis Street Family Resource Center Therapy, parenting classes, meical and dental serivces http://davisstreet.org/ (510) 347-4620 3081 Teagarden Street San Leandro, CA 94577 Options Recovery Outpatient Services Outpatient substance abuse treatment program http://optionsrecoveryservices.org/ (510) 925-4005 1300 East 14th St. San Leandro, CA 94577 Everyone Home Housing assistance https://everyonehome.org/ (510) 473 8643 1271 Washington Ave., 619 San Leandro, CA 94577 Associated Counseling Counseling services https://vaughnbaker.com/ (510) 357-0550 525 Estudillo Ave F San Leandro, CA 94577 Davis Street Primary Care Clinic Health services http://davisstreet.org/ (510) 347-4620 3081 Teagarden Street San Leandro, CA 94577 Stepping Stones Growth Center Youth disability support serivces https://childcarecenter.us/provider_ detail/stepping_stones_growth_cen-

ter_san_leandro_ca (510) 568-3331 311 MacArthur Blvd San Leandro, CA 94577

San Leandro, CA 94577

Family Resource Navigators Peer parent assistance and support for children with special needs Boys & Girls Club of San Leandro https://familyresourcenavigators.org/ Children's educational, vocational (510) 547-7322 and recreational programs 291 Estudillo Avenue https://bgcsl.org/ San Leandro, CA 94577 (510) 483-5581 401 Marina Blvd.

Family Service Counseling Center San Leandro, CA 94577 and Community Resource Center Mental health clinic serves children, Building Hope/Construyendo teens, adults Esperanza https://alamedakids.org/resource-di(Behavioral Health Care Services) rectory/view-program.php?id=339 Mental health services for children (510) 483-6715 http://www.acbhcs.org/intern-be2208 San Leandro Blvd. havioral-health-care-services-buildSan Leandro , CA 94577 ing-hope-construyendo-esperanza-early-childhood-program/ Interfaith Homelessness Network (510) 481-4203 April Showers 500 Davis St., Ste 120 Free showers, lunch, toiletries and San Leandro CA 94577 laundry vouchers for the community https://www.ihnaprilshowers.org/ Regional Center of the East Bay info@ihnaprilshowers.org Early intervention services 951 MacArthur Blvd. https://www.rceb.org/ San Leandro, CA 94577 (510) 618-6100 500 Davis Street, Suite 100 SOS/Meals on Wheels San Leandro, CA 94577 Home-delivered hot meals for homebound seniors.

Multi-Lingual Counseling Inc. https://www.sosmow.org/ Cultural and language specific mental (510) 582-1263 health services 2235 Polvorosa Avenue 260 http://multilingualcounseling.com/ San Leandro, CA 94577 (510) 352-1760 303 W. Joaquin Ave. Ste. 100 Deaf Counseling, Advocacy, and San Leandro, CA94577 Referral Agency Hearing-impaired counseling, housGender Spectrum ing services Trainings on gender and children https://dcara.org/ https://www.genderspectrum.org/ (877) 322-7288 (510) 788-4412 1550 San Leandro Blvd 1271 Washington Avenue 834 San Leandro, CA 94578 San Leandro, CA 94577 (510) 483-0720 Alameda County Public Health FHS 14895 E. 14th Street, Suite 200 Fatherhood Initiative Responsible San Leandro, CA 94578 Fatherhood, skill building, parenting classes Cherry Hill Detox Program https://acphd.org/fatherhood-initiaInpatient drug and alcohol abuse tive/ detox.

(510) 667-4343 https://www.horizonservices.org/ 1100 San Leandro Boulevard, cherry-hill-detoxification Suite 120 (866) 866-7496

1

NAACP Continued from page 11 crimes. According to the organization’s leaders, criminal lawyers can charge up to $5,000 for legal fees in addition to the cost of processing the paperwork.

According to the NAACP California State Conference 2020 resolutions, law enforcement convicts Black people based on ‘wobbler charges’ for nonviolent crimes.

“A person who has been arrested and was not convicted now has the burden to petition the court for the expungement. Cost associate to remove the arrest record and expunge it is expensive and excessive for people of color,” the resolution states.

The expungement program coordinators follow up with attendees to track the legal progress of their cases. The law experts working with the organizations evaluate each case and work with each attendee on an individual basis.

“People are just so grateful to get answers in real-time, not waiting on a call center line pressing one or two and hoping that you can get someone,” said Betty Williams the executive director of the NAACP California State Conference.

During one of the workshop sessions, “a young lady cried, thanked us, and gave us praises for the program. Almost all of us started crying, she was sharing how she's been trying to get this done for the last six years and had no idea that the NAACP was doing something like this,” said Williams.

“We’re giving a voice to those individuals that have been so easily victimized by the criminal justice system,” she said.

Social justice advocates at the NAACP emphasized that Black and Brown people need more initiatives that help heal the harm inflicted by the War on Drugs in their respective communities.

“We have the population that was affected most with the war on drugs,” said Williams.

“Now we have the opportunity to help those individuals clean up their backgrounds and go look for a job without fear,” she said.

The NAACP California State Conference is committed to expanding the expungement program through outreach in its 56 branches across the state. Leaders from other NAACP branches have expressed interest in modeling similar programs to help Black and Brown communities in their respective states.

13

2035 Fairmont Drive San Leandro, CA 94578 San Leandro Senior Community Center Programs for seniors https://www.sanleandro.org/ depts/rec/seniors/ (510)577-3462 13909 East 14th Street San Leandro, CA 94578 Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center Multicultural and multilingual health center https://www.tvhc.org/ (510) 398-7500 16110 E 14th St San Leandro, CA 94578 Girls Incorporated of Alameda County - Pathways Counseling Center mental health services for children, adolescents, adults https://girlsinc-alameda.org/ (510) 357-5515 433 Estudillo Ave., Suite 105.

San Leandro, CA 94578 REACH Ashland Youth Center Youth development and support services https://reachashland.org/ 510-481-4500 16335 E. 14th Street San Leandro, CA 94578 East Bay Agency for Children Family Resource center https://www.ebac.org/services/ family-san-leandro.asp (510) 844-6752 2251 Bancroft Ave San Leandro , CA 94579

San Leandro, CA 94578 Cherry Hill Detox Program inpatient drug and alcohol abuse detox. https://www.horizonservices.org/ cherry-hill-detoxification (866) 866-7496 2035 Fairmont Drive San Leandro, CA 94578 San Leandro Senior Community Center Programs for seniors https://www.sanleandro.org/depts/ rec/seniors/ (510)577-3462 13909 East 14th Street San Leandro, CA 94578 Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center Multicultural and multilingual health center https://www.tvhc.org/ (510) 398-7500 16110 E 14th St San Leandro, CA 94578 Girls Incorporated of Alameda County - Pathways Counseling Center mental health services for children, adolescents, adults https://girlsinc-alameda.org/ (510) 357-5515 433 Estudillo Ave., Suite 105.

San Leandro, CA 94578 REACH Ashland Youth Center Youth development and support services https://reachashland.org/ 510-481-4500 16335 E. 14th Street San Leandro, CA 94578 East Bay Agency for Children Family Resource center https://www.ebac.org/services/family-san-leandro.asp (510) 844-6752 2251 Bancroft Ave San Leandro , CA 94579

Freemont, CA 94538 https://tri-cityhealth.org/ (800) 841-9236 510.770.8040 "40910 Fremont Blvd.

(510) 343-6670 Fremont, CA 94538

Family Education & Resource Tri-City Children and Youth Service Center Children and Youth Services Family Support https://www.fremont.gov/Businesshttps://ferc.org/ Directoryii.aspx?ysnShowAll=0&lFremont Family Resource Center (510) 790-1010 ngNewPage=0&txtLetter=&txtZipFamily Economic Success 39115 Liberty St., D400 and F600 Code=&txtCity=&txtState=&txthttps://www.fremont.gov/228/FamiFreemont, CA 94537 BusinessName=Tri-City+&lngBusily-Resource-Center nessCategoryID=0&txtCustom(510) 284-4000 510-746-1722 Field1=&txtCustomField2=&txtCus3300 Capitol Ave. Fremont Fair Housing and Landlord / tomField3=&txtCustomField4=&txFreemont, CA 94538 Tenant Services tAreaCode= Housing Discrimination and Coun(510) 795-2434 State Department of Rehabilitation seling 39155 Liberty St., Ste. G710 Disability and Vocational https://fremont.gov/BusinessDirectoFreemont, CA 94538 Services ryII.aspx?BID=61 https://www.dor.ca.gov/Home/Find(510) 574-2270 Tri-City Community Support AnOffice 39155 Liberty St., Ste. D440 Center (510) 794-2458 Freemont, CA 94538 Adult mental Health Services 39155 Liberty St., Ste. F630 https://www.fremont.gov/BusinessFreemont, CA 94538 Hively Child Care Directoryii.aspx?ysnShowAll=0&lhttps://behively.org/ ngNewPage=0&txtLetter=&txtZipCityServe’s Compassion Network (925)417-8733 39115 Liberty St., Code=&txtCity=&txtState=&txtFaith-based Volunteer network D450 Freemont, CA 94537 BusinessName=Tri-City+&lngBusihttps://www.compassionnetwork.org/ nessCategoryID=0&txtCustom(510) 796-7378 La Familia Counseling Services Field1=&txtCustomField2=&txtCus39155 Liberty St. H840 Employment Services for refugees tomField3=&txtCustomField4=&txFreemont, CA 94538 https://www.lafamiliacounseling.org/ tAreaCode education_employment_service#voSame as above Same as above Community Child Care Council cational 510-329-3739 39115 Affordable Child Care Liberty St., F600 Tri-City Free Breakfast Program https://www.4c-alameda.org/ Freemont, CA 94537 Food Program (510) 713-2557 https://www.fremont.gov/Business39155 Liberty St., Ste. D410 Lincoln Families Kinship Support Directoryii.aspx?ysnShowAll=0&lFreemont, CA 94538 Program ngNewPage=0&txtLetter=&txtZipFamily Support Services Code=&txtCity=&txtState=&txtCommunity Resources for http://lincolnfamilies.org/proBusinessName=Tri-City+&lngBusiIndependent Living grams-services/family/kinship nessCategoryID=0&txtCustomDisability Community Support (510)583-8026 Field1=&txtCustomField2=&txtCushttps://www.crilhayward.org/ 39155 Liberty St, Suite D450 tomField3=&txtCustomField4=&tx(510) 794-5735 Freemont, CA 94538 tAreaCode= N/A 39155 Liberty St., Ste A100 4181 Irvington Ave. Freemont, CA 94538 Abode Services Fremont, CA 94537 Homeless Community Suppoort Deaf Counseling, Advocacy, and https://www.abodeservices.org/ Tri-City Teen Clinic Referral Agency (510) 657-7409 Teen primary care Deaf Community employment, advo- 40849 Fremont Blvd. https://tri-cityhealth.org/ cacy, and social services Freemont, CA 94538 (510) 770-8131 https://dcara.org/ 1999 Mowry Ave, Fremont (510) 790-1433 (video) Tri-City Health Center Fremont, CA 94538 39155 Liberty St., Ste. D420 Healthcare for the homeless Tri-City Volunteers Tri-City Health Center Healthcare community clinic https://tri-cityhealth.org/ (510) 770-8040 40910 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538 Freemont, CA 94538

14

By Edward Henderson

Justice = Jobs YEP, an Oakland Org, Prepares Youth for Careers, Education Access

15

Emergency Social Services http://www.tri-cityvolunteers.org/ (510) 793-4583 37350 Joseph St. Fremont, CA 94536 Women, Infants, & Children's Nutrition Program Nutrition and Education Services https://acphd.org/wic/ ( 510) 795-2457 3 9155 Liberty St., Ste. D430 Fremont, CA 94538 Immigration Institute of the Bay Area Immigrant community support https://iibayarea.org/about/ (510) 894-3639 39055 Hastings Street, Suite 202 Fremont, CA 94538 Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments Domestic violence support, advocacy https://save-dv.org/ (510) 574-2250 1900 Mowry Ave., Suite 201 Fremont, CA 94538 Sunrise Village Shelter Emergency housing services https://alameda.networkofcare.org/ mh/services/agency.aspx?pid=SunriseVillageShelter_344_2_0 (510) 252-0910 588 Brown Rd Fremont, CA 94539 Abode Services Homesless housing services https://www.abodeservices.org/ (510) 657-7409 40849 Fremont Boulevard Fremont, CA 94538 Alzheimer's Services of the East Bay Adult day health care services http://aseb.org/ (510) 888-1411 43326 Mission Circle Fremont, CA 94539

16

NAACP Empowerment Programs,Inc Expungement Clinics Rashid Sidqe Rashid.Sidqe@ca-naacp.org 916-306-0778 Serves: San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, San Joaquin Community Works West Restorative Justice jtoro@communityworkswest.org 510-486-2340 Alameda 110 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607 http://communityworkswest.org/ 510-486-2340 110 Broadway Oakland, CA 94607

Impact Justice Justice Reform https://impactjustice.org/ (415) 944-7988 2633 Telegraph Avenue Suite 104 Oakland, CA 94612 Behavioral Health Care Services Vocational Program http://www.acbhcs.org/vocationalprogram/ (510) 777-4240 7200 Bancroft Ave, Suite 125B Oakland, CA 94605 Hively Child Care https://behively.org/ (510) 483-6715 111 Myrtle Street, Suite 102 Oakland, CA 94607

Rising Sun Center for Opportunity Options Recovery Outpatient Employment and environmental Services sustainability outpatient substance abuse treatment https://risingsunopp.org/ program (510) 655-1502 http://optionsrecoveryservices.org/ 1116 36th Street (510) 666-9501 Oakland, CA 94608 1630 10th Street.

Oakland, CA 94607 SAFE PASSAGES Family Support Alameda County Homeless Action https://safepassages.org/about/ Center (510) 238-4914 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 6306 Legal services to homeless, lowincome and mentally ill people Oakland, CA 94612 http://homelessactioncenter.org/ (510) 695-2260 La Clinica de La Raza, Inc. 2601 San Pablo Avenue Health Clinic Oakland, CA 94612 https://laclinica.org/ (510)535-2979 Turning Point PO Box 22210 Fred Finch Youth Center Oakland, CA 94623 residential and outpatient services to young adults URBAN STRATEGIES COUNCIL https://www.fredfinch.org/ Social Justice (510) 482-2244, ext. 5200 https://urbanstrategies.org/ 3800 Coolidge Avenue 5108932404 Oakland, CA 94602-3311 1720 BROADWAY 2ND FLOOR OAKLAND, CA 94612 Covenant House California (CHC) Youth homeless shelter California Prostitutes Education https://covenanthousecalifornia.org/ Project (CAL-PEP) 510) 379-1010 Primary Health 200 Harrison Street https://www.calpep.org/ Oakland, California 94607 (510) 874-7850 2811 Adeline Street Oakland, CA 94608

O

akland’s reputation in American political history is synonymous with raised-fist, steelspined Black Power activism.

At the geographic heart of Oakland, on International Boulevard, is an organization called the Youth Employment Partnership (YEP). Its mission lines up with that strain of power-to-the-people advocacy the largest city on the East side of the San Francisco Bay is known for. The leaders at YEP say their organization aims to embody the spirit of the city whose youth they serve.

YEP’s headquarters is a warehouse purchased in 2001 with cash that was an allotment from a lawsuit settlement. The suit accused California of spending more on incarcerating youth than the prevention of delinquency.

Today, YEP serves the community as an incubator for job training and education for youth who have are overcoming obstacles in their lives.

“Everything here is built by our young people,” said Michele Clark, Executive Director of YEP. Clark says she rejects, “that whole concept of having kids and young adults of color being treated like they are not assets to our community.”

“We really feature them as asset builders,” she continued. “Those kinds of things build confidence” Under YEP’s guidance, the youth working in the warehouse designed and renovated a section of the space every two years for 10 years. Now, their headquarters hosts classes equipping the young people with skills like forklift operation and the culinary arts. It also has a school where high schoolers can earn their diploma and a section in the back with a small community of tiny houses.

“It’s always just a quest of what training can we offer our community that knock out lifelong barriers.

High school and other emotional trauma issues, probation, parole, all of those things we get young people to build on and not be depressed by,” said

Clark.

YEP was founded in 1973 by a group of teachers from St. Elizabeth High School, along with Dennis Chaconas, who later became Superintendent of Oakland Unified School District. Their goal was to address learning-loss and provide children with engaging and character-building activities over the summer.

The early success the founders had with programs that helped youth succeed at school and jobs led to the organization’s expansion. In 1989, they unaffiliated with St. Elizabeth to continue growing and to extend their work beyond providing summer jobs and offering summer education. In 1991, they officially became The Youth Employment Partnership, Inc. YEP serves 500 youth and young adults each year.

To date, the organization says their alum have earned over $900,000 in wages and incentives; 34,000 trainees have received workforce training and development services; and 80% of trainees benefit from employment or advance education placement.

While the pandemic put a temporary hold on their progress, the organization found ways to adapt, innovate and continue inspiring the young creative minds they serve. Sixty days after the initial shutdown, YEP was able to bring 60% of participants back on site with proper distancing and ventilation in the warehouse. Students prepared meals for the homeless, continued classes and constructed 10 tiny houses in the back of the facility to help house youth who needed a place to stay. As warehouse training became a highly demanded skill during the pandemic, YEP was able to provide more youth with certifications that led to jobs.

“Seeing the tiny homes we’ve built all together and ready for somebody to live in them was my most memorable moment at YEP,” said Christian Gonzales, 17. “It made me feel excited because we put a lot of work and learning into it. The final product felt great to see. I’ve also been hired by the contractor that YEP has hired. It

17

has helped me develop new skills and prepare me for jobs in the future.”

Along with the work training aspect of YEP, education stands as a core pillar to their philosophy of youth development. Tiara Shaw, 18, was recommended to the program by a friend and was inspired by the possibilities that YEP had to offer her.

From left to right: Leo Theus, Senior Case Manager; Talia Summers, Program Coordinator & Employment Specialist; Dean Wyrzykowski, Administrative Assistant – Development; Ronnie Rose, Director of Development & Evaluation; Marshaun Farris, Warehouse Instructor & Life Coach Greg Baquiax, Young Adult Tutor. (Photo by Auintard Henderson)

Through YEP, 34,000 trainees have received workforce training and development services. (Photo by Auintard Henderson)

“With everything that’s been going on with the pandemic and balancing school I started falling off in my senior year,” said Shaw. “I ended up not graduating with everyone else. I wanted to get my GED at least. But then I found out about YEP and that I could get my diploma. It became way more than I thought than just a diploma.”

Joshua Norman, 19, lived down the street from YEP headquarters and was always aware of the work they did. Norman decided to take advantage of YEP’s services when his sister encouraged him to take a leap of faith and try to overcome the challenges in his life with their help.

“The staff are really personable, and I get a lot of help from them. They always have good feedback and actually care about your progress. It’s the people here who make it fun. When I was going through stuff at home and I needed somebody to talk to, I could talk to the staff and have someone understand -- besides just being at work,” he said. “If you come here, just know that there are people here to help you and don’t take the chance for granted. Use the opportunity wisely and stay focused on your craft.”

Shaw agrees that youth engaging with YEP and the services they provide have an array of options and resources at their disposal. However, she also believes that the responsibility still lies with them to take advantage of everything.

“YEP is a stepping stone to get where you want to go in life. It’s not there to take you all the way, but it’s there to take you to somewhere, and you make the decisions to go further and do what you want to do,” she says. “There’s not a lot of places that will do this for the youth.”

18

Eighty percent of YEP trainees benefit from employment or advanced education placement. (Photo by Auintard Henderson)

To learn more about YEP and how to get involved, visit www.yep.org

African American Community Empowerment Council

COVID-19 Testing Tailored for Your Community www.aacec-cal.org

19

RECOVERY

IN ALAMEDA COUNTY:

By Rev. Gerald L. Agee

Our Church Is Offering Free Tests

States and cities have lifted mask mandates and other COVID-related restrictions. But even as we readjust to life as it was before the pandemic, we know that COVID is not fully gone for good.

Variants still pose a threat. And case numbers are still on a gradual decline here in California and around the country. Therefore, we can’t throw all caution to the wind when it comes to keeping our loved ones safe and healthy.

The death rate resulting from COVID-19 is still higher for Black Californians than the statewide average, according to numbers from the California Department of Public Health.

At the height of the coronavirus crisis, Black pastors across California recognized the urgency of the COVID-19 threat. As we move from pandemic to endemic, we still do.

We continue to accept the responsibility of this fight, and we understand as faithleaders in our communities that we must combine faith with action. Prayers for healing and health must be backed up

by a plan for protection and prevention that keep our communities safe and the virus at bay.

;

That is why dozens of faith leaders across our state have worked together to keep the doors of our churches open for convenient COVID-19 testing. Some sites offer vaccinations. This effort to keep our congregations and our neighborhoods safe has been made possible with the support of our testing partner Color and the California Department of Public Health.

The pastors in our network, their congregations, staff, and volunteers at our churches and in our community have done an excellent job. Their effort has contributed in no small way to the high COVID-19 vaccination rate and low positivity rate we now have in California.

We are truly proud and grateful.

As we walk into this new phase of our COVID-19 response, we must prioritize safety, especially for those among us who are aging or otherwise fragile.

As our slogan tells us, “Don’t guess, get the test” before fully chucking your mask, or going back to work or traveling to see loved ones.

Look up one of our centers in your community to get vaccinated and tested.

It is the surest way that we can stem the spread of this virus.

We must decide to renew our hope and lead with faith even stronger than we have been doing. With that resolve, committing ourselves to keeping each other and our communities safe will be easy.

Remember, we can end this endemic once and for all -- together.

About the Author The Rev. Gerald L. Agee is the founder and pastor of Christian Friendship Church in Oakland and the statewide manager for the Black church testing program. https://www.aacec-cal.org/

A “Fresh” Approach: F.L.Y. Reimagines Opportunity for Young People

By Edward Henderson

The ACLU defines the school to prison pipeline as a “national trend wherein children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems.”

Many of the children that fall into this pipeline have learning disabilities, are victims of neglect, abuse, and would benefit from additional services.

However, too many of them have also been subjected to systematic zero-tolerance policies that criminalize minor infractions and serve as catapults, feeding more children into the pipeline to prison.

Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY), is an Oakland-based organization dedicated to dismantling the school to prison pipeline by equipping youth with knowledge of the law and empowering youth with a community of supporters that amplify their voices.

FLY’s mission is poetic in the sense that the voices of youth who fell victim to the prison pipeline served as the foundation for the organization’s creation.

Back in 1995, Christa Gannon, FLY’s founder and Stanford University Law School graduate, would often converse with teens facing significant prison time about services that could steer other children away from incarceration.

In many of their responses, the children mentioned education of the law -- to know the consequences of poor choices – as well as having role models

and opportunities to be of service to their communities.

Those ideas are the pillars that FLY was built on.

“Education is power,” said Trevor Arceneaux, Associate Director of FLY’s Alameda County operations. “There are a lot of opportunities to practice that power. It helps to develop a young person’s critical consciousness of the world and how they see it. A lot of times our young people are actively in this pipeline, and they can name it and see it.

We can give them options on how to solve these real-world issues.”

In 2000, FLY transitioned to a non-profit, building on the concepts of law education and empowerment. Today, FLY is now one of the Bay Area’s most respected agencies working with youth who are currently or formerly involved in the juvenile justice system.

With 70 staff and more than 200 volunteers, FLY serves more than 2,000 youth throughout the Bay Area each year, ranging from ages 11 to 24.

“Some of the greatest success stories we’ve had is with youth who have been resistant to the process and wanting support,” said Arceneaux.

“FLY does a really great job at building authentic and trusting relationships with youth. Seeing the change and the walls being torn down and they’re able to engage with us in a different way and let us into their lives where we can understand and learn their needs. Then, we’re able to tap into their genius and get them to operate in the community with a different way.”

These authentic connections are fostered in the many programs FLY offers to equip youth with the knowledge and confidence they need to navigate life and avoid pitfalls.

In Alameda County FLY offers 4 core programs that provide pivotal services and education.

The Court Appointed Friend and Advocate (CAFA) Mentor Program pairs youth with mentors to meet weekly and support them in developing new behaviors, ambitions and attitudes. Each mentor/ mentee pairing has a FLY case manager for support who also attends monthly group activities organized by FLY. All mentors are also granted legal standing to act as advocates for their mentees in the courtroom and at schools.

The FLY Law Program is an interactive 8-to-12-week course covering topics such as police encounters, accomplice liability, three strikes, theft, vandalism, drugs, gangs, and police arrests. The curriculum also touches on critical life skills like anger management, problem solving, conflict resolution, and resisting negative peer pressure. Midway through the semester, youth take a field trip to a local university law school where they tour the campus and act out a mock trial in the moot courtroom.

The Leadership Training Program helps youth build the skills and attitudes they need to live a crime-free, self-sufficient life. The program traditionally kicks off with a three-day wilderness retreat that enables youth to break away from negative influences and stresses and begin bonding with FLY

staff and peers, developing trust and teamwork skills.

(Because of the pandemic, virtual or socially distanced activities have replaced the retreats.) Following the retreat, youth meet monthly to support each other in group settings and to design projects in which they advocate for positive change and give back to their communities.

Each young person receives intensive coaching from a FLY case manager to identify and address their greatest barriers.

The STAY FLY Program is a reentry program that develops social emotional learning skills and knowledge of the law in youth ages 18-25. A three-tier system is implemented to support youth as they transition back into the community. Lawrelated education, pro-social events and civic engagement activities, along with case management and coaching are offered to participants.

“Youth really love being around FLY staff,” said Arceneaux. “That’s more important to me than anything. They are going to remember the connections they have. When I see youth cracking jokes or hitting up staff to tell them about an accomplishment, that lets me know we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing. We’re really pushing youth to use their voice. In the next three to five years, you’re going to hear about former or current FLY youth advocating or pushing for systematic change. Tapping into their sense of agency and impacting the entire world.”

Victory Outreach Men's Recovery Home Christian home substance abuse program for men https://voheart.org/ 510-783-1022 621 Schafer Hayward, CA 94544

23

addiction, CID treatment http://www.ebcrp.org (510) 728-8600 22971 Sutro St. Hayward, CA 94541

Hayward, CA 94541

La Familia Youth and Family OpportunitiesYouth Support services https://www.lafamiliacounseling.

Winton Wellness Center org/community_outreach_serHealthcare vices#youthandfamily https://www.freeclinics.com/det/ 1-510-589-4009 Cronin House cohabiting residential ca_Winton_Wellness_Center 22366 Fuller Avenue Substance abuse program for adult 510-266-1700 Hayward, CA 94541 men 24100 Amador St.

https://www.horizonservices.org/croHayward, CA 94544 Glad Tidings Church nin-house 27745 Tyrell Avenue 510-784-5874 Eden Area Multi-Service Center Hayward, CA 94541 2595 Depot Road General assistance Hayward, CA 94545 https://www.financialhelpresources.

Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center com/details/eden_area_multiservice_ Multicultural, multilingual health Family Emergency Shelter Coalition center.html center (FESCO) 510-670-6000 https://www.tvhc.org/ Family Shelter: food, shelter, clothing, 24100 Amador St (510) 471-5907 counseling Hayward, CA 94544 22331 Mission Blvd https://www.fescofamilyshelter.org/ Hayward, CA 94541 (510)581-3223 Terra Firma Diversion 22671 Third Street substance abuse treatment Project Eden Youth Outpatient Hayward, CA 94541 http://www.terrafirmadiversion.com/ Community youth support 510-675-9362 https://www.horizonservices.org/projSecond Chance Recovery Center 30086 Mission Blvd ect-eden Outpatient substance abuse program Hayward, CA 94544 (510) 247-8200 http://secondchanceinc.com/ 1866 B Street, Suite 101 510-886-8696 Family Paths Hayward, CA 94541 94541 107 Jackson Street Individual and family services, Hayward, CA 94544 counseling Project Eden Youth Prevention https://familypaths.org/ Community youth substance abuse Community of Grace Recovery (510) 893-9230 https://www.horizonservices.org/projProgram, food pantry 22320 Foothill Blvd. ect-eden https://www.icgrace.org/ Suite 400 (510) 247-8200 510-783-8062 Hayward, CA 94541 22320 Foothill Suite 245 380 Elmhurst Street Hayward, CA 94542 94541 Hayward, CA 94544 La Familia Counseling Mental health, community support Community Resources for Hayward Wellness services Independent Living Primary care https://www.lafamiliacounseling.org/ Disability community resources http://achealthcare.org/provider/ 1-510-300-3500 https://www.crilhayward.org/ acmc-winton-wellness-center/ 24301 Southland Drive, Suite 300 (510) 881-5743 510-266-1700 Hayward, CA 94545 439 A Street 664 Southland Mall Dr. Hayward, CA 94541 Hayward, CA 94545 La Familia Neighborhood Resource Center Community support services Ruby's Place East Bay Community Recovery https://www.lafamiliacounseling.org/ Domestic violence crisis services, Project - Lifelong EBCRP Hayward 1-510-589-4009 shelter, and counseling Outpatient treatment for drug 22366 Fuller Avenue https://www.rubysplace.org/

Is a Landlord or Employer Using Your Felony Conviction Against You? Here’s What You Can Do

By Edward Henderson The California state government has been reminding businesses and landlords across the state that it is illegal to discriminate against job and rental applicants because they have committed felonies or misdemeanors in the past.

The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) is also encouraging the public to report housing ads that use discriminatory language to exclude certain racial groups, immigrants, people with felonies, and applicants with Section 8 or U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) vouchers; etc.

pioneering state law that seeks to reduce barriers to employment for individuals with criminal histories,” a DFEH statement read.

The Fair Chance act, which took effect on January 1, 2018, was written to increase access to employment and housing for Californians with criminal histories -- a way to reduce recidivism, among other goals. Employers with five or more employees are prohibited from asking a job candidate about conviction history during the hiring process or when advertising a vacancy.

Since the law passed, the state has sent more than 500 notices to businesses informing them that they have violated protections put in place to “The California Department of Fair Employment protect people seeking work. and Housing announced a new effort to identify The DFEH says it is implementing new and correct violations of the Fair Chance Act, a

24

(510) 786-1246 1180 B Street Hayward, CA 94541 Lincoln Child Center Kinship Family support and services http://lincolnfamilies.org/programs-services/family (510) 583-8026 111 Review Way Hayward, CA 94544 Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity, Inc. (ECHO) Housing Tenant/landlord rights, shared housing, rent/deposit assistance, home equity counseling https://www.echofairhousing. org/ (510) 581-9380 22551 Second Street, Suite 200 Hayward, CA 94541 Spectrum Community Service, Inc. Independent living assistance for low-income individuals, families, and seniors https://www.spectrumcs.org/ (510) 881-0300 2621 Barrington Court Hayward, CA 94545 Everyone Home Housing assistance http://www.everyonehome.org/ (510) 670-9796 224 W. Winton Av, Room 108 Hayward, CA 94544 The Hub Family Resource Center 2-1-1 Eden I & R, Inc. General assistance Community resource https://www.husd.us/hub referrals (510) 784-2600 http://edenir.org/ 24411 Amador St. (510) 537-2710 Hayward, CA 94544 570 B. Street Hayward , CA 94541 4Cs Community Child Care Council of Alameda County Community childcare services https://4c-alameda.org/ (510) 582-2182 22351 City Center Drive Hayward, CA 94541

technologies to conduct mass searches of online job applications that include unlawful statements. For example, some businesses explicitly state in hiring advertisements that they would not consider applicants with criminal records.

“Using technology to proactively find violations of the state’s antidiscrimination laws is a powerful strategy for our department to protect Californians’ civil rights,” said DFEH Director Kevin Kish.

“DFEH is committed to preventing employment discrimination through innovative enforcement actions and by providing clear guidance to employers.” DFEH released a toolkit to aid employers in adhering to the Fair Chance Act guidelines. The toolkit includes sample forms and guides employers can use to follow required procedures; a suggested statement that employers can add to job advertisements and applications to let applicants know that they will consider individuals with criminal histories; answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Fair Chance Act and an informational video that explains the Fair Chance Act. In addition, DFEH plans to release an interactive training and an online app this year.

DFEH also warns against masking discrimination with COVID safety precautions.

“As Californians navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing has provided guidance to protect civil rights and mitigate risk of COVID-19 transmission in employment, housing, healthcare, and, in our guidance released today, businesses open to the public,” said Kish. “We can and must uphold civil rights while simultaneously disrupting the spread of COVID-19.”

DFEH encourages individuals to report job and housing advertisements violating the Fair Chance Act or other instances of discrimination.

“

Visit the DFEH website at www.dfeh.ca.gov to file complaints.

DFEH is committed to preventing employment discrimination through innovative enforcement actions and by providing clear guidance to employers.

25

DREAMCATCHER YOUTH SERVICES Counseling and case management services (jobs, education, government assistance program help) https://covenanthousecalifornia.org/ dreamcatcher-youth-services/ (800) 379-1114 422 Jefferson Street Oakland, California 94607

https://www.apeb.org/ (510) 663-7979 8400 Enterprise Way, Suite 118 Oakland, CA 94621 Healthy Oakland Wellness Center Health Clinic, counseling services https://www.oaklandhc.com/ (510) 250-8000 3030 Webster St Oakland, CA 94609

Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center Rresidential substance abuse program for men https://oaklandarc.salvationarmy.org/ (510) 451-4514 601 Webster Street Oakland, CA 94607

Earth Circles Counseling Center Psychotherapy services https://www.earthcirclescenter.com/ Women Organized to Resist Life 510-601-1929 Threatening Disease (WORLD) Alameda County Bar Association CID (combined immunodeficiency) Legal service and legal assistance for 166 Santa Clara Avenue support services for women Alameda low-income residents Oakland , CA 94610 http://womenhiv.org/ 510-986-0340 https://www.acbanet.org/ BAART Programs "389 30th Street (510) 302-2201 Drug addiction treatment and mental Oakland, CA 94609 1000 Broadway, Suite 290 health services Oakland, CA 94607 https://baartprograms.com/ East Bay Community Recovery (510)533-0800 Project - Lifelong EBCRP Oakland East Bay AIDS Center (EBAC) 1124 International Blvd.

Outpatient treatment for drug CID primary care clinic for young Oakland, CA 94606 addiction http://www.ebcrp.org adults (510) 446-7180 https://www.sutterhealth.org/find2577 San Pablo Ave. location/facility/east-bay-aids-center- La Clinica Optical Optometry and ophthalmology Oakland, CA 94612 ebac services (510) 655-4000 ext. 3808 https://laclinica.org/ East Bay Community Recovery 3100 Summit St. 2nd Floor (510) 535-4141 Project - Lifelong EBCRP Project Oakland, CA 94609 3060-B East 9th Street Pride 510-921-6680 Oakland, CA 94601 Outpatient treatment for drug addiction City Team Ministries Eastmont Wellness Center http://www.ebcrp.org Men's residential drug and alcohol (510) 446-7160 program Primary and specialized health care http://www.acmedctr.org/ 2545 San Pablo Ave. https://cityteam.org/oakland/ (510) 567-5700 Oakland, CA 94612 (510)452-3758 6955 Foothill Blvd. #200 722 Washington St. Eastmont Mall Shopping Center Alameda County Behavioral Health Oakland, CA 94607 Oakland, CA 94605 Services (PSN) Substance Use Treatment West Oakland Health Center http://www.acbhcs.org/ medical, mental health, and substance Highland Ambulatory Care Clinics Primary and specialized health care 1-844-682-7214 abuse treatment http://www.acmedctr.org/ 2000 Embarcadero Cove, Suite 400 https://westoaklandhealth.org/ (510) 437-5039 Oakland, CA 94606 (510) 835-9610 1411 E. 31st St 700 Adeleine Street Oakland, CA 94602 Mental health services Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 437-4800 (800) 491-9099

Foster children/young adults Youth Employment Partnership Organization to Achieve Solutions (800) 491-9099 Education, employment and social serivces for youth in Substance Abuse STD/I testing and treatment AIDS Project of the East Bay (APEB) https://www.yep.org/ http://www.oasiscliniconline.org/ advocacy and support to CID clients (510) 533-3447 (510) 834-5442 ( primary care, food pantry, housing, 2300 International Boulevard 520 27th Street utilitiy funds) Oakland, CA 94601

26

6

Oakland, CA 94612 Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless General health care only to the homeless https://acphd.org/ (510) 532-1930 1900 Fruitvale Avenue Oakland, CA 94601

http://stmaryscenter.org/ community-center/ (510) 923-9600 925 Brockhurst St Oakland, CA 94608

A Safe Place Shelter for abused and/or battered women and children https://www.asafeplace.org/ (510) 986-8600 P. O. Box 23006 Prescott Joseph Center Oakland, CA 94623 Medical clinic https://www.prescottjoseph.org/ East Oakland Community Project (510) 835-8683 24 Hour Emergency Shelter, 920 Peralta Street education and health services Oakland, CA 94607 http://www.eocp.net/ (510)-532-3211 Order of Malta Clinic Health care clinic 7515 International Blvd https://www.orderofmaltaclinic.com/ Oakland, CA 94621 (510) 587-3000 BANANAS 2121 Harrison St, Ste 102 Child care Oakland, CA 94612 https://bananasbunch.org/ (510) 658-7353 Oakland Homeless Project 5232 Claremont Ave Housing assistance Oakland, CA 94618 https://www. oaklandhomelessresponse.com/ Alameda County Family Justice (510) 465-0881 Center 1820 Jefferson Street Domestic violence, family support Oakland, CA 94612 http://www.acfjc.org/ (510) 267-8800 St. Mary's Center Senior Services Senior services (55 and over)

470 27th Street Oakland, CA 94612 Immigration Institute of the Bay Area Immigrant community support https://iibayarea.org/about/ (510) 451-2846 x 301 476 3rd Street Oakland, CA94607 Bonita House Berkeley Mental health and substance abuse https://bonitahouse.org/ (510) 923-1099 6333 Telegraph Ave., Suite 102 Oakland, CA 94609 NAACP Empowerment Programs, Inc Expungement Clinics Rashid Sidqe Rashid.Sidqe@ca-naacp.org 916-306-0778 Serves: San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa,Fresno, San Joaquin

27

IMPACT ALAMEDA This resource guide was created to assist men, women and children in California whose lives were unpturned by the War on Drugs.

It points to valuable local resources that help get people back on their feet as they re-integrate into their families and the life of their communities.

Visit https://postnewsgroup.com/impact-alameda