Young people accused of crimes are offered the option of pursuing education and career opportunities instead of having a criminal record. The new College and Career Pathways Program (CCPP) will provide justice-impacted youth in Los Angeles County with an alternative to enrolling in one of nine Los Angeles County community colleges, including Los Angeles Mission College.
“The CCPP provides an innovative option for young people accused of crimes,” said L.A. County District Attorney Gascón. “Instead of incurring a criminal record, these young people will be provided with the tools to pursue educational and career opportunities and build a brighter future.”
Youth between the ages of 16 and 18 who have been charged with a crime but have not yet been charged are offered the opportunity to earn a college certificate or degree through the CCPP.
Gascon said about 2,000 boys are currently on probation. Typically, these young people would be placed on probation or, in more serious cases, detained.
“We know that when you punish and incarcerate young people, you generally put them down a path that is very difficult to get out of,” Gascón said. “Rather than giving someone a criminal record that will forever impact their life, (CCPP) gives them a path to a better future, a path not only to redemption, but also to the health of our entire community. Masu.”
At arraignment, four agencies evaluate each individual’s case: the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, Probation Department, and Superior Court to determine whether the youth is suitable for the CCPP program. They will consider factors such as the nature of the crime, gang affiliation, and whether a new environment or support services would be beneficial.
Students are then assigned to a community college and program of study that they must attend and complete. Charges against the youth will be stayed while he is in the program, and the case may be dismissed after the student completes the academic program.
“For too long, we have failed to recognize that our system has failed young people and focused on punishment rather than possibility,” said Los Angeles County Public Defender Ricardo Garcia. It’s important.”
“Diversionary opportunities like this program are a way to help guide young people toward new paths forward, away from the destructive pipelines that have plagued our system for years. This program is about creating opportunities… for growth and redemption, and ultimately for defining and building a better future.”
Beyond educational opportunities, students are provided with access to support services, financial aid, tutoring, student clubs, and career counseling.
Giovanni Ochoa is a counselor and coordinator for the College Cultural Reentry Hub (CCRH) at Los Angeles Mission College, where he works with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students. He also assists CCPP students in entering and navigating the higher education system.
“Our job is simply to provide basic needs and, more importantly, a sense of belonging on a college campus. Because I never thought I would be in college,” Ochoa said.
He said the transition can be difficult for those who have never thought of themselves as part of an educational organization, so CCRH provides comprehensive services and meets the basic needs of students to help those entry points. He said he is working to remove barriers. That means providing school supplies, transportation, food and housing assistance, and referring students to educational employment assistance programs, legal assistance, mental health services, and tattoo removal services.
“We try to do pretty much everything for them so they don’t struggle during the transition period,” Ochoa said. “Aside from them being students, we have to first connect them with their basic needs in order to be successful in school.”
Ochoa grew up in Pacoima and is a proud graduate of LA Mission College. He began his higher education at Mission, transferred to the University of California, LA (UCLA), and then earned a master’s degree in counseling from the University of Southern California (USC).
Through her travels, Ochoa always knew she wanted to work in the Northeast Valley community.
“I know there are many students and people who can relate, and there are many barriers in our community that impact pursuing higher education,” he said. “There are a lot of young people who make mistakes…but if you have the right people around you and the right support…community college can be the start of something different.”
Sara Hernandez, second vice president of the LA Community College District Board of Trustees, agrees that the community college system can provide “opportunity for Angelino students who need it most.”
He said higher education “can be a turning point, a way to break cycles of hardship and poverty, rebuild trust and foster hope for the future” and that the CCPP offers “a second chance for young people”. Ta.
“We are not only a space for second chances, but also third and fourth chances,” added L.A. Mission College President Dr. Armida Ornelas.
Mr. Ornelas emphasized that the impact of the CCPP extends beyond the individual.
“We know that when we change one person’s life, we change the lives of their families, and from that individual, we change the lives of our communities,” Ornelas said.
