GOOGLE & SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS PLAYERS JOIN FORCES FOR JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM

Google.org and the San Francisco 49ers have teamed up to to support the National Center for Youth Law’s (NCYL) California Youth Justice Initiative. The two organizations announced a joint grant of $2.35 million dollars to support the transformation of Santa Clara County’s juvenile justice system to a system focused on the health and well-being of young people who come into conflict with the law as an alternative to arrest and incarceration.

At a launch event held at the 49ers home, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, defensive back Richard Sherman noted that in Santa Clara County, Black and Latino youth are 7.5 and 4 times more likely than White youth to be arrested.

“Once you get in the system it’s very difficult to make it out,” said Sherman. “It’s very difficult to learn what you need to do to be in the workforce, to be a great person because you spend so much time trying to survive the situations you are put in.” 

Sherman was part of a five-member player committee that selected NCYL to receive funding from the player’s social justice fund, an NFL program that grew out of player protests in response to racial bias in law enforcement. According to Sherman, the California Youth Justice Initiative was selected because it addressed both the issue of law enforcement contact with youth of color and the needs of youth who have entered the juvenile justice system.

According to Google.org Principal Justin Steele, who leads giving portfolios focused on Racial Justice nationally, the grant is the largest criminal justice reform investment Google has made in California. “There is no other system that needs more disrupting than the criminal justice system,” Steele told the audience of local elected officials, representatives from the justice system and more than 40 young people participating in partner youth development programs.

Frankie Guzman Director of the California Youth Justice Initiative at NCYL, himself a formerly incarcerated youth, told the crowd that, “Young people have tremendous capacity to learn from their errors. What they need are caring adults who understand their unique challenges and backgrounds and provide positive ways to channel their youthful energy.”

He introduced Johvany Resendiz, another formerly incarcerated youth who shared how a mentor made the difference for him. “He started showing me the ropes, how to dress up for interviews, how to speak to women.” Resendiz is currently an intern at the Community Agency for Resource Advocacy and Service where he is paying it forward by mentoring other youth.

County Supervisor Cindy Chavez and District Attorney Jeff Rosen also spoke at the launch, noting Santa Clara County’s progress in addressing racial disparities in the juvenile justice system. DA Rosen added, “The best reform is to keep kids from entering the system in the first place.”

The San Francisco 49ers were winners of the 2015 Beyond Sport Global Award for Sport Team of the Year.