"When I was younger, I couldn't imagine a future for myself beyond going to prison or dying young. But today, I am a college graduate and a senior policy advocate for the Vera Institute of Justice's California team, where we promote the end of mass incarceration, protection of immigrant communities and racial justice. What changed my life? Instead of being incarcerated after my last arrest, I was granted diversion."
"I had heard a detective was looking for me and, though I was one of the victims, I thought I was in trouble. On television we see child victims get escorted to a safe place, connected with therapists or social workers and treated with dignity and respect. In real life, I got a phone call from a detective. The police treated me like I had been the perpetrator, and I was terrified."
A person experienced childhood sexual abuse and a punitive police response that treated a victim like a suspect, receiving no support services. Familial incarceration and Prop 21 sentencing contributed to a cycle of criminalization, gang involvement, and trauma, including witnessing a boyfriend's death and school punishment through arrest for truancy. Repeated jailing and gang-related charges perpetuated instability. Receiving diversion instead of incarceration allowed participation in behavioral health programs, job training, and community supports, enabling completion of college and a role in policy advocacy focused on ending mass incarceration, protecting immigrant communities, and advancing racial justice.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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