More than 10,000 unaccompanied youth have entered California each year since 2020, most of them leaving violence or insecurity in Mexico and Central America.
Even after resettling in their new homes, many struggle to access culturally competent mental health care. In response, Community Justice Alliance has helped its youth clients build community and express themselves creatively.
For one dedicated couple, embracing restorative justice was the first step toward healing their family.
The Contra Costa County Family Justice Center’s CHAT Project has been a beacon of hope, one that has given them the tools they each needed to co-parent effectively while mending their own relationship. By focusing on accountability and communication, the couple have been able to create a safe, stable home for their son.
Twenty-seven years ago, Devon Gaster was in jail, but had started down a path that would change his life forever.
Devon’s experience healing himself and his family through restorative justice has taught him that being accountable taking responsibility makes it possible to heal and change. With the right tools and support, Gaster writes, men can learn about intimate partner violence and stop their abuse.
For Lisbet Pérez, the restorative justice framework helped her family heal after leaving an abusive relationship. She was skeptical at first, but soon found a way to reconnected with her children’s father.
Through the process, she learned that her family could grow and heal through their own resilience, and that leaning on the support of her community would create the safe environment her children needed.