Alameda County is set to receive millions of dollars from the State of California as the result of the recent closure of the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). This money will fund a new local program for young people coming back from DJJ or who would have previously been sent to DJJ. 

Alameda County Probation states that they want this new program to be a "therapeutic milieu" with "trauma-informed" practices. But, at the same time they are strongly pushing to use chemical spray (pepper spray) and harmful restraints as well as room confinement against children in this new program -  a program that is projected to serve 3 youth when it opens, and less than 10 youth on average. There is no excuse for Probation to advocate for the use of these practices in this new program. 

The use of restraints and chemical sprays put people at risk of injury and strangulation or suffocation, and all of these practices add to the trauma that many youth have already experienced. From 2018 to 2019, there were over 750 occurrences of the use of chemical spray against kids in juvenile hall, a facility in which Black and Brown youth are disproportionately detained. These are not practices that contribute to a "trauma-informed" or "therapeutic" model of youth programming. 

By signing below you will join us as we call for Alameda County Probation to stop the use of these abusive practices in the juvenile justice system.

Help us let Alameda County know that the use of chemical spray, restraint ties, and room confinement are abusive practices that should not be used against children. 

For info about the Alameda County meetings and to find out how to have your voice heard on this issue go to: https://probation.acgov.org/juvenile-services/SB823.page