News from ARC
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After Lockup, a Question of Care
This article originally appeared on Juvenile Justice Information Exchange on March 30, 2015. Click here to view. by Lynne Anderson Louie Chagolla was in and out of trouble with the law for most of his teenage years. He was in lockup twice and, when not in lockup, he was on probation. Possession of a deadly weapon made the scared but tough-acting kid feel secure on the streets of Los Angeles. And, it solidified his sense of belonging to his surrogate family, his gang. The first time he got into trouble with a deadly weapon, he was in middle school. That led to lockup. Then[...]
From Gangs and Gladiator School to the LA Chamber of Commerce
by Kent G. Mendoza Morales The date is April 9, 2014. It's 12 noon, and I'm coming home. My name is Kent G. Mendoza Morales and I'm 21 years old. At the age of 12, I had my first encounter with the law. Three years later, I received a sentence of nine months in a juvenile facility that initiated my five-year journey within California's juvenile and criminal-justice systems. I was born in Mexico City on July 7, 1993, and migrated to the United States at the age of six. I grew up in one of many low-income communities in the urban areas[...]
From the Jailhouse to Morehouse to the White House
This Op-Ed originally appeared on Juvenile Justice Information Exchange on March 31, 2015. Click here to view. by Alton Pitre I felt like a young politician last week during my four-day visit to Washington, D.C., with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition on our policy trip. From meetings with members of Congress to a meeting with a deputy assistant to the president in the White House, I got a taste of what I hope my future career will consist of. The coalition (ARC) includes about 150 formerly incarcerated individuals who are now pursuing productive lives. Part of the Coalition’s mission is to provide services and opportunities for[...]
Outside Man
Every Saturday morning Scott Budnick leaves his 1920s Mediterranean villa on a Hollywood Hills cul-de-sac, with its pool and waterfall and wooded trails, and drives his Tesla north, across the San Fernando Valley, to where the 5 and 210 freeways converge in Sylmar. The first time he made this trek, to a corner of Los Angeles synonymous with the fortress of a juvenile hall it encompasses, he was all jitters, wondering what he was getting himself into as he neared the brick walls and coiled razor wire. Twelve years later, after some 300 to 400 Saturdays, Budnick pulls into the Compound like[...]
Black Lives Matter – It’s More than Police Killings
I have struggled with the theme of “Black Lives Matter” in the protests against police killings of Black men in America. I totally agree with the sentiment, but I have just had trouble with the message that seems so basic and demands a low bar. Then after an argument with a friend who thought the theme was ridiculous, I found myself defending it and eventually fully embracing the notion that one of our biggest challenges is that so many people in this country devalue the life of Black youth. But it is much more than police killings. I watched the March and[...]
ARC and InsideOUT Writers Host Special Screening of Imperial Dreams
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Antirecidivism Coalition (ARC) and InsideOUT Writers (IOW) co-hosted a special screening of Malik Vitthal’s “Imperial Dreams” at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in Century City. The gathering convened more than 200 guests at the Ray Kurtzman Theater with backgrounds in social work, law, entertainment, and academia. Imperial Dreams tells the story of Bambi, a 21-year-old, single father, returning home from prison to a life of broken relationships, violence, addiction, and the pressure to return to his former gang. The film points out the barriers to employment and the cycles of recidivism stemming from a lack of personal support, limited opportunities, and systematic[...]
