FCFCLA

Over the past several years we have:

• Developed legislation to mitigate the harsh effects of Proposition 21, which vastly expanded the number of children tried as adults
  
  
• Organized visits by religious leaders to state and local juvenile halls, jails, and prisons.
  
  
• Ended censorship of chaplains working in county correctional facilities.
  
  
• Advocated successfully to end the practice of locking up youth in the adult county jail of Los Angeles.  Conditions in the jail were the poorest of any facility in the State. These conditions included: 23-24 hour isolation, lack of adequate education, recreation, medical and mental health sevices, limited family visits (through plexi-glass window). - We started this campaign in 2004 and achieved significant improvements that year.  However, it was in 2008 that we accomplished the permanent closure of the juvenile module at LA County Jail.
  
  
• Formed the first ever Clergy Advisory Committe to the LA County Chief of Probation.  This committe made up entirely of FCFC members meets periodically with the Chief to advocate on behalf of the youth detained in the juvenile halls and probation camps.
  
  
• Organized the first Annual Juvenile Justice Sabbath (Feb. 22-24).  Over 300 faith based organizations in CA and NY united to provide awareness of needs of incarcerated children and their families by prayer, service and action at their places of worship.
  
  
• Directed three delegation visits by religious leaders to state and local juvenile detention centers.
  
  
• Collaborated with legal advocates to ensure that the youth in the juvenile halls would receive sufficient education and recreation programs.
  
  
• Advocated successfully to allow grandparents to visit their loved ones in the L.A. County juvenile halls and camps.
  
  
• Advocated successfully to add a second day of family visits at the juvenile halls.
  
  
• FCFC members established direct service programs that were implemented by their congregations.  These programs were offered at Sylmar Juvenile Hall and included:  a tutoring program, a theater arts program and a leadership program.
  
  
• Led the interfaith effort statewide to defeat Proposition 6.