A police officer had eliminated Medina, indicated on particular close graffiti, and you will asked the brand new high-school pupil whether he’d jet-decorated the latest graffiti. Medina answered which he wasnt in control. He asserted that the latest administrator then gestured for the a paint spray normally quit close to the pavement curb and you may told Medina: “As to the reasons you should never you select one up for my situation.”
Medina rejected and you can was presented with. More a decade later, and then an adult, Medina shows on that date and you can observes clearly the situation have effortlessly escalated and possibly contributed to their arrest to own an offense he had maybe not committed.
“I have very crazy, comprehending that if i might have been naive in those days, to think of what would happened,” told you Medina, 28.
On 1 day like most most other, Abraham Medina try walking home out of college during the Yard Grove whenever he encountered a decisive minute: That incorrect disperse could have got your within the juvenile detention, although brief-convinced adolescent know how to proceed
You to definitely experience wasn’t an isolated that. Medina said the guy and his awesome family was basically constantly dropped by police officers inside Lawn Grove, in which he was raised, and in Santa Ana, where the guy spent most of their leisure time. Toward his Santiago High school campus, Medina told you police officers perform pull students aside and you will ask them during and after meal to determine when your people had been from inside the gangs and to gather pointers to have cops data files.
Medina went on to study on College regarding California, Irvine, but he never ever forgot how he, his classmates, and you can area household members was basically treated during the difficult-on-offense time you to involved years out of youthfulness on condition juvenile fairness system.
Medina know that competitive approach to the fresh policing and you may prosecution from Latino teens only closed the newest so-called troublemakers away at the rear of taverns, however, didnt get to the root of that was operating childhood to act aside or to visit crimes.
Very 5 years before, Medina began doing work and you will communicating with respect to the latest citys teens within Santa Ana Guys and Boys of Color (BMOC), an organization concerned about keeping teens in school and you may from the latest juvenile justice program. If this try to make demonstrations up until the Santa Ana university panel, working together having Tangerine County probation officials into solutions in order to detention, or linking with teens and you will mothers in the online forums, Medina produced some thing clear: detention and you may punitive tips weren’t providing Santa Anas youthfulness.
Rather, Medina advocated towards adoption out-of therapeutic fairness practices, and this eschew antique kinds of abuse such as for example teenager hallway detention and you can college or university expulsion, in favor of practices that allow young people to take obligation getting their tips, in addition to give input services to get to the underlying away from their behavioral affairs.
However, he along with his acquaintances from the BMOC, where up to just last year the guy offered as the project movie director, noticed a familiar thread one of several younger guys it offered
Of several got mental health and you will behavioral activities combined with understanding handicaps, told you Medina, who is generating their masters studies inside the judge and forensic therapy.
“Our programs are created to getting culturally informed https://datingranking.net/cs/pinalove-recenze/ and injury informed, however, obviously we are confronted by the youth with dual diagnoses,” said Medina. “That childhood are the ones who fall into the latest teenager justice program, therefore the juvenile justice system possibly does not can operate in it.”
“This type of youthfulness are the ones exactly who belong to the brand new juvenile justice program, in addition to juvenile justice system possibly doesnt can perform on them.”
Leave A Comment