Youth Law Center and Other Advocates Influence New California Bill Improving Access to Education for Incarcerated Youth
New California Bill Improves Access to Education for Incarcerated Youth
On September 22, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2176, authored by California Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), into law, which would require the Office of Youth and Community Restoration (OYCR) within the California Health and Human Services Agency to write and publish an annual report of rate of chronic absenteeism in juvenile court schools and address problems in schools with a high percentage of students absent. This newly enacted law responds to the key issue of chronic absenteeism raised in the report we published in November 2023, entitled Out of Sight, Out of Mind, that examined how California’s education data and accountability systems are failing youth in juvenile court schools.
Our report noted that chronic absenteeism in court schools should be considered differently than in traditional public schools because, unlike in community-based public schools, students in court schools are almost all incarcerated and under constant supervision. Thus, any chronic absenteeism in a court school indicates that students who literally have nowhere else to go are somehow still not attending school.
“The California Constitution guarantees incarcerated youth the right to an equitable education, yet in some counties youth in juvenile facilities are prevented from accessing school for more than 10% of the year. AB 2176 is an urgently needed intervention to address the root causes of institutions denying youth access to school,” said Assemblymember Marc Berman. “Chronic absenteeism is linked to lower graduation rates, diminished academic achievement, and reduced college attendance. We must ensure that all children have access to school, even while they are incarcerated. Thank you to the Santa Clara County Office of Education for their partnership in our effort to strengthen the fundamental right to an equitable education.”
Upon the publication of the report, our Executive Director Jennifer Rodriguez expressed hope that it would spark not only conversation, but also action to ensure that all youth in the juvenile justice system receive the education they need to learn, grow, and thrive. The passage of AB 2176 is a significant and tangible result of our collective advocacy to ensure time spent by youth in juvenile justice systems is a moment in time, not a life sentence.
Youth Law Center Celebrates its First 45 Years!
On a picture-perfect late summer evening on Thursday, September 12 in San Francisco, the Youth Law Center celebrated its first 45 years at its Advocacy, Justice, and Hope event. Held at the Pearl in the Dogpatch, one of the City’s hip neighborhoods, Youth Law Center friends old and new gathered and noshed on delectable lite bites from Foxtail Catering and Events on the Pearl’s rooftop.
Angela Vigil, Partner and the Executive Director of the Global Pro Bono Practice at global law firm Baker McKenzie, was honored by the Youth Law Center in recognition of her work as a tireless crusader for children’s rights. The event concluded with a special performance by world famous drummer and percussionist Sheila E. and her band, which included a surprise solo by Angela Vigil (click here to watch the video!).
“The event, and Youth Law Center’s work in general, inspire me so much. And it inspires so many across the child rights and social justice community.
I think about the children we all know are sitting in cement cells missing any sense of a childhood whose lives will be better because of the work Youth Law Center does and inspires. I know of the children alone in foreign homes and facilities who are lonely, desperate, and seeking any kind of a sense of home after being ripped from siblings and family members. I know of children who don’t yet know that they can excel and thrive if they get health services, meaningful mental health treatment, nutrition, or even simple things like glasses—but the work of the Youth Law Center will contribute to giving them better lives and inspire others to follow that example. And I think of the youth and children around the country who don’t know what a “right” really is because it has been nothing more than an elusive illusion promised for others and never for them—a fight Youth Law Center never stops fighting. I am inspired by you. and I thank you. “
– Angela Vigil, 2024 Advocacy, Justice, and Hope Champion
To read a play-by-play recap of the event and view the photo gallery, please visit our website: ylc.org/advocacy-justice-and-hope-event.