Forum Day Sheds Light on Juvenile Justice

Crossroads Upper School students explored issues surrounding youth incarceration during Juvenile Justice Forum Day, held on April 8. Organized by English teacher Nika Cavat, the day featured 26 workshops, 44 presenters, 35 student leaders and 15 visiting public school students.

 

Activities kicked off with a keynote speech by incarcerated youth-turned-activist Prophet Walker, who urged students to dream big for their peers who cannot. He also participated in a panel along with Javier Stauring, co-director, Office of Restorative Justice, Archdiocese of Los Angeles; Elizabeth Calvin, senior advocate, Children’s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch; and Dr. Stephany Powell, executive director, the Mary Magdalene Project, which assists victims of domestic trafficking

From there, students attended one of the more than two dozen workshops offered on topics including drug and alcohol rehabilitation; women and domestic violence; teens and cops; and street poetry. Related events throughout the week included a film screening of “Inocente,” an Academy Award-winning documentary about a homeless teen; an educational Juvenile Justice tent assembled by Crossroads’ Human Rights Club; and a student poetry reading organized by Stella Aykroyd ’16 and Chase Kassel ’16.  Richard Ross’ art exhibit “Juvenile In Justice”— curated by Jack Kennerly ’16—was displayed in the Sam Francis Gallery from April 6-10.

 

Kim Ortiz ’15 served as Nika’s assistant and helped plan Juvenile Justice Forum Day. “I live in South Central Los Angeles, so the issue of youth incarceration hits close to home,” she explains. “My plan is to become a lawyer and help Spanish-speaking families navigate the juvenile justice system.”