Youth Commission urges free Muni, summer jobs and juvenile‑justice reforms; board files priorities

The San Francisco Youth Commission on Tuesday presented eight policy and budget priorities to the Board of Supervisors’ Budget & Finance Committee and the committee filed the item for the record.

Leah Lacroix, chair of the Youth Commission, said the priorities reflect months of outreach, including a youth budget town hall, and urged supervisors to consider the proposals in the upcoming two‑year budget process. “Among our priorities you’ll hear about Free Muni, youth in juvenile hall, summer jobs and youth involvement plans,” Lacroix said.

Nut graf: The commission asked the board to preserve and expand youth services amid the city’s multi‑year budget shortfall, and it proposed a mix of direct service funding and policy changes — from transit subsidies to changes in policing and oversight of juvenile facilities — that supervisors said they would review as budget hearings proceed.

Key priorities presented: - Free Muni for low‑income youth (with an aspiration to expand citywide). Lacroix cited a study showing about 70 percent of SFUSD students ride at least one bus daily and noted the planned elimination of yellow school buses would put more youth on public transit. - Summer Jobs Plus and youth employment: Sarah Armstrong said San Francisco Summer Jobs Plus aims to create 5,000 summer jobs; commissioners asked the board to help with private‑sector outreach and to prioritize the most vulnerable youth. - Juvenile Justice: Renee Ontiveros described persistent problems at the Juvenile Justice Center where, she said, design flaws and staffing constraints limit consistent access to large muscle activity (LMA). She cited Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations and requested data reporting to oversight bodies, staff training, and a timeline and cost estimate for capital repairs. - Police‑youth interactions: Commissioners recommended scenario‑based training for recruits and patrol officers on youth development and de‑escalation, distribution of youth‑friendly “Know Your Rights” pamphlets to SFUSD and funded community organizations, and a formal MOU between SFPD and SFUSD clarifying in‑school arrest protocols.

Bill Sifferman, chief probation officer, responded to juvenile‑justice concerns: he acknowledged design and staffing issues in a center recreation yard, said JPD meets Title 15 biannual inspection standards and committed to monthly tracking and a follow‑up hearing with the public safety committee. Captain Barrett of SFPD’s training division said an SRO MOU with the school district existed until 02/2009 and has not been updated; SROs continue to operate and SFPD is considering renewed 40‑hour SRO training and an updated agreement with the new superintendent.

Youth commissioners also urged focus on transitional age youth (TAY) homelessness and housing: Jonathan Baer noted roughly 5,700 homeless and marginally housed youth aged 12–24 and summarized the TAY housing goal established by a 2007 task force (400 units by 2015), reporting 153 targeted units to date (74 complete, 79 in predevelopment). The mayor’s housing office said it had allocated $685,000 in FY12–13 CDBG funds to support TAY services.

The committee thanked the youth commissioners and voted to file the item without objection. Supervisors said they would consider the priorities during the budget cycle and asked departments to provide updates during upcoming hearings.

Ending: The Youth Commission’s priorities will be considered during the mayor’s June budget hearings and subsequent departmental reviews before the Board of Supervisors.