I have dealt with the justice system my whole life from childhood through motherhood. This has been where my heart was hardened, broken and became strong enough to fight and stand for change in my family and community. Growing up with a father in and out of prison I knew early the prison & criminal justice systems effect on families.
My family and I have family members at this moment in the prison system and contact is a key element in keeping the family ties and it gives the incarcerated family member a sense of belonging. My kids and I support these family members through letters of encouragement, financially and assist the attorneys with the Parole Board hearings. We were receiving weekly phone calls but are enduring some changes that make it harder now especially when you are communicating with family members at multiple facilities.
I have a brother in law who has been incarcerated for 27 years; he was arrested on my daughters first birthday. Every year on my daughter’s birthday we celebrate her and yet it is somber as we know it is another year he is still incarcerated. My oldest son was 4 and I was pregnant with my youngest son at the time of his arrest. My sons have endured police harassment physically and verbally due to their last name, family relations, their neighborhood, alleged gang affiliation and for fitting the description. My oldest son has been pulled over and harassed as to where and what his father and uncle are doing, both of whom they knew were incarcerated at the time. But before the officer left and gave my son no ticket his last words were don’t forget to tell your dad and uncle I said hi laughing as he walks away. My youngest was stopped in a public street and harassed in front of friends about his uncle and father, mind you an uncle that was gone before he was born.
Through these experiences I sought out the information that I believed would empower me to take a stand. As I became educated in knowing my rights and the process of the legal system I started to share with youth in our neighborhood and then other neighborhoods as word of mouth spread.
Through these meetings I became more informed than I expected in regard to the abuses they were enduring that now made me work harder. I asked them what they needed and the common response was hope and a job. I work for the IBEW/NECA Electrical apprenticeship and began educating the youth and re-entry young men on the Industry trade apprenticeships available to them. This opportunity would create career paths and sustainability in their lives and for their families. I started with young men in my neighborhood and then again through word of mouth young men started coming from other cities and as far as the valley. This made me realize that my neighborhood was a small view of the need out there. The flood gates had opened and it really broke my heart how many young men, many re-entry were unable to attain jobs.
The common thread for their unemployment was no diploma and criminal records no matter how long ago the conviction was. I am proud to say many of these young men have completed their apprenticeships and state certified High & Low Voltage Electricians. Many are Foreman, Project Managers and are now self-sufficient, own homes, have benefits, pensions and proud union members. I believe opportunity, support services and peer support was crucial to their success.
I started reaching out to mothers in our neighborhood and found they were sharing the same experience. The common stigma of the criminal justice system on single mothers is they are not home, have no control of their kids, need parenting skills and are in denial. The mothers sometimes feel shame, isolate themselves and endure financial hardship, even sell personal belongings trying to attain legal counsel for their child. I started having meetings with the ladies to share our pain, victories, pray for one another and the community.
As the women grew stronger we started praying boldly in the middle of our neighborhood to reclaim our community and stop the violence. We anointed public areas with oil where we knew youth congregated at or violence was prevalent. We organized BBQ’s at public a park for family and the youth to enjoy time together, we had a peace march’s led by an Aztec dance troupe to bless our community. Myself and three other mothers walked or drove through the neighborhood in the evening and the youth gave the us a name; The MOPS (Mothers on Patrol) it was funny but they knew we were out there to assure no abuse came upon them.
During one of our night drives we came upon some officers who had young men on the side of the railroad tracks. We approached them and noticed two were my nephews and one was another woman’s nephew and one was a youth we knew. We asked why they were in the dark by the tracks and they said well the youth ran when they saw us coming. I responded you’re in an unmarked charger with tinted windows and we just had a child assaulted in this area I would run too. The young men were allowed to leave with us and we then gave out our phone numbers to the youth to contact us if anything like this ever happens again. They started calling us when they were being harassed and we would all show up on the spot, the police were becoming agitated. Now when they were pulling them over they would try to take their cell phones so they couldn’t contact us. Notification is crucial as my own son was arrested as a juvenile and he was not allowed to notify me. I was only informed as another child already incarcerated called his family who started spreading the word to other families which finally reached me.
A friend and I decided to take this one step further as we watched the confusion, sorrow and feeling of helplessness in mothers dealing with the criminal justice system. We decided to drive mothers to court hearings and sat with them for emotional support, jail visitation and interpretation for those Spanish speaking. As needed I would give clarification of the case and where the youth was in the process so the parent could make a clear and concise decision. I believe the right to participation in the process affecting our youth and family is not given but we as parents must fight for it. The court doesn’t know your child nor your family’s dynamics or needs, nor do they ask.
Through my journey I have been judged for helping and caring for these young men by community members, police officers and city officials. Once while asked to observe a raid upon a single mothers home an officer asked her if she knew who I was, she responded yes and they asked if she was aware I am creating criminals. Another mother whom was on the porch heard the whole conversation and came and told me what was being said. I was not nor have I ever created criminals. I have taught youth their rights and fought for their rights in the criminal justice system. As a community if we truly seek justice we need to support the family’s right to participation and right to influence juvenile justice policy.
I believe a woman’s faith in God and the power of prayer will provide the boldness we need to change the world. I have seen the need for all of us to ensure the rights and quality of life of our youth.
I support the Justice for Families Bill of Rights and would ask you to do the same to assure the:
• Right to notification
• Right to participation
• Right to contact
• Right to peer support
• Right to influence juvenile justice policy
I would like to close and ask that when you pray for those in authority & others ask that they see people through Gods eyes…the view is beautiful.
I have dealt with the justice system my whole life from childhood through motherhood. This has been where my heart was hardened, broken and became strong enough to fight and stand for change in my family and community. Growing up with a father in and out of prison I knew early the prison & criminal justice systems effect on families.
My family and I have family members at this moment in the prison system and contact is a key element in keeping the family ties and it gives the incarcerated family member a sense of belonging. My kids and I support these family members through letters of encouragement, financially and assist the attorneys with the Parole Board hearings. We were receiving weekly phone calls but are enduring some changes that make it harder now especially when you are communicating with family members at multiple facilities.
I have a brother in law who has been incarcerated for 27 years; he was arrested on my daughters first birthday. Every year on my daughter’s birthday we celebrate her and yet it is somber as we know it is another year he is still incarcerated. My oldest son was 4 and I was pregnant with my youngest son at the time of his arrest. My sons have endured police harassment physically and verbally due to their last name, family relations, their neighborhood, alleged gang affiliation and for fitting the description. My oldest son has been pulled over and harassed as to where and what his father and uncle are doing, both of whom they knew were incarcerated at the time. But before the officer left and gave my son no ticket his last words were don’t forget to tell your dad and uncle I said hi laughing as he walks away. My youngest was stopped in a public street and harassed in front of friends about his uncle and father, mind you an uncle that was gone before he was born.
Through these experiences I sought out the information that I believed would empower me to take a stand. As I became educated in knowing my rights and the process of the legal system I started to share with youth in our neighborhood and then other neighborhoods as word of mouth spread.
Through these meetings I became more informed than I expected in regard to the abuses they were enduring that now made me work harder. I asked them what they needed and the common response was hope and a job. I work for the IBEW/NECA Electrical apprenticeship and began educating the youth and re-entry young men on the Industry trade apprenticeships available to them. This opportunity would create career paths and sustainability in their lives and for their families. I started with young men in my neighborhood and then again through word of mouth young men started coming from other cities and as far as the valley. This made me realize that my neighborhood was a small view of the need out there. The flood gates had opened and it really broke my heart how many young men, many re-entry were unable to attain jobs.
The common thread for their unemployment was no diploma and criminal records no matter how long ago the conviction was. I am proud to say many of these young men have completed their apprenticeships and state certified High & Low Voltage Electricians. Many are Foreman, Project Managers and are now self-sufficient, own homes, have benefits, pensions and proud union members. I believe opportunity, support services and peer support was crucial to their success.
I started reaching out to mothers in our neighborhood and found they were sharing the same experience. The common stigma of the criminal justice system on single mothers is they are not home, have no control of their kids, need parenting skills and are in denial. The mothers sometimes feel shame, isolate themselves and endure financial hardship, even sell personal belongings trying to attain legal counsel for their child. I started having meetings with the ladies to share our pain, victories, pray for one another and the community.
As the women grew stronger we started praying boldly in the middle of our neighborhood to reclaim our community and stop the violence. We anointed public areas with oil where we knew youth congregated at or violence was prevalent. We organized BBQ’s at public a park for family and the youth to enjoy time together, we had a peace march’s led by an Aztec dance troupe to bless our community. Myself and three other mothers walked or drove through the neighborhood in the evening and the youth gave the us a name; The MOPS (Mothers on Patrol) it was funny but they knew we were out there to assure no abuse came upon them.
During one of our night drives we came upon some officers who had young men on the side of the railroad tracks. We approached them and noticed two were my nephews and one was another woman’s nephew and one was a youth we knew. We asked why they were in the dark by the tracks and they said well the youth ran when they saw us coming. I responded you’re in an unmarked charger with tinted windows and we just had a child assaulted in this area I would run too. The young men were allowed to leave with us and we then gave out our phone numbers to the youth to contact us if anything like this ever happens again. They started calling us when they were being harassed and we would all show up on the spot, the police were becoming agitated. Now when they were pulling them over they would try to take their cell phones so they couldn’t contact us. Notification is crucial as my own son was arrested as a juvenile and he was not allowed to notify me. I was only informed as another child already incarcerated called his family who started spreading the word to other families which finally reached me.
A friend and I decided to take this one step further as we watched the confusion, sorrow and feeling of helplessness in mothers dealing with the criminal justice system. We decided to drive mothers to court hearings and sat with them for emotional support, jail visitation and interpretation for those Spanish speaking. As needed I would give clarification of the case and where the youth was in the process so the parent could make a clear and concise decision. I believe the right to participation in the process affecting our youth and family is not given but we as parents must fight for it. The court doesn’t know your child nor your family’s dynamics or needs, nor do they ask.
Through my journey I have been judged for helping and caring for these young men by community members, police officers and city officials. Once while asked to observe a raid upon a single mothers home an officer asked her if she knew who I was, she responded yes and they asked if she was aware I am creating criminals. Another mother whom was on the porch heard the whole conversation and came and told me what was being said. I was not nor have I ever created criminals. I have taught youth their rights and fought for their rights in the criminal justice system. As a community if we truly seek justice we need to support the family’s right to participation and right to influence juvenile justice policy.
I believe a woman’s faith in God and the power of prayer will provide the boldness we need to change the world. I have seen the need for all of us to ensure the rights and quality of life of our youth.
I support the Justice for Families Bill of Rights and would ask you to do the same to assure the:
• Right to notification
• Right to participation
• Right to contact
• Right to peer support
• Right to influence juvenile justice policy
I would like to close and ask that when you pray for those in authority & others ask that they see people through Gods eyes…the view is beautiful.