The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Local
    • Palmdale
    • Lancaster
    • Los Angeles County
    • Littlerock
    • Lake Los Angeles
    • Rosamond
    • Edwards AFB
    • Acton
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Advertise
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Show Search

LA County launches Youth Development Department

by The AV Times Staff • July 6, 2022

Los Angeles County this week launched its Department of Youth Development (DYD) with the goal of transforming the way county systems treat youth and invest in their development, well-being and safety.

“Youth justice is not simply about making sure we provide equitable alternatives to arrest and system involvement,” said Vincent Holmes, the DYD’s newly named Interim Director. “It also means ensuring that every young person in LA County has access to youth development and care-first opportunities they deserve.”

“Our Black and Brown youth continue to be disproportionately represented in our justice system that isn’t truly serving them,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “The Department of Youth Development is one of the tools we have to change this.”

County officials said roughly 80% of arrests or citations of minors are for alleged “status offenses,” like violating curfew, or involve alleged non-serious, non-violent misdemeanors or felonies that are legally eligible for referral to community-based diversion and development services.

Key elements of the DYD’s initial vision include expanding youth diversion and development programs to continue to reduce youth justice system involvement, building additional capacity for youth centers and youth development, and supporting credible messengers in schools and other youth-serving systems.

“Supporting our youth means reaching them with resources to help them thrive before they are ever at risk of coming in contact with the justice system, from mental health services to good-paying jobs when the time is right,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn.

“We must help the youth in our system realize their full potential so they can be successfully integrated into our workplaces and communities,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “In order to holistically meet the needs of justice-involved youth, all our county departments must work together to equip them with every tool to succeed physically, academically, mentally and emotionally.”

For more information on the county’s new Department of Youth Development, visit dyd.lacounty.gov.

[Information via news release from Los Angeles County.]

–

 

Filed Under: Crime/ Safety, Home, Los Angeles County

4 comments for "LA County launches Youth Development Department"

  1. Sk says

    August 9, 2022 at 10:00 pm

    Holly Mitchell is racist! Why would she say something that dumb!

  2. T-Money! says

    August 5, 2022 at 2:20 pm

    get some!!!!

  3. ACE says

    July 7, 2022 at 3:06 am

    WON’T THIS BE WONDERFUL..?

    ANOTHER L.A. COUNTY SUCCESS FOR SURE..!

    L.A. COUNTY HAS SO MANY SUCCESSES..!

    OUR L.A. COUNTY YOUTH CAN PROBABLY HARDLY WAIT FOR THIS GREAT NEW COUNTY PROGRAM TO START BETTERING THEIR LIVES…

    I KNOW I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO SEE…

    HOW ABOUT YOU..?

    ***

    • Fredsie says

      July 8, 2022 at 1:47 am

      It’s more training to prepare them for prison. I guess the public school system wasn’t enough.

Recent Comments

  • Your parents would be ashamed on Readers Speak Out! (January 2023): “This guy just literally had a conversation with himself using three different screen names. What a pathetic existence.” May 29, 14:51
  • Tim Scott on Fentanyl overdoses drive spike in deaths among homeless in LA County: “If that’s an example of your thoughts you’d be well served to keep them to yourself. Outside the paranoid corners…” May 29, 13:02
  • Hiroshi "Haiku" Hatori on Readers Speak Out! (January 2023): “When is five not five When a Re Pub Li Can …not Counting is now so hard” May 29, 11:03
  • Sharpie on Fentanyl overdoses drive spike in deaths among homeless in LA County: “My thoughts exactly. With the help of Joe Biden the Cartel is making billions” May 29, 09:57
  • The Devil on Readers Speak Out! (January 2023): “You can’t count.” May 29, 08:12

Copyright © 2023 · The AV Times LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of Use