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County youth‑development team outlines diversion, prevention and re‑entry strategy during Tech Week
Summary
A Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development representative outlined the department’s mission, the 'continuum of care' (development, diversion, re‑entry) and evaluation claims that diversion programs save money and reduce re‑contact with law enforcement; the presentation referenced the 2020 Youth Justice Reimagined report.
A representative of the Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development (DYD) gave a detailed description of the department’s mission, structure and programs during the Compton Tech Week opening session.
The presenter read DYD’s mission and vision and framed the department’s work as a three‑part "continuum of care": development (prevention), diversion (alternatives to incarceration) and re‑entry (support for young people returning from facilities). The representative said the department grew out of a 2017 community effort and a 2020 report titled Youth Justice Reimagined, and that DYD launched in 2022 to implement the report’s strategies across Los Angeles County.
The speaker used a "coffee bean" metaphor (crediting Damon West and a mentor, Mr. Jackson) to encourage young people to be change agents rather than products of their environment. The presenter described county programs including a youth diversion team that partners with law enforcement, school‑based teams that bring restorative practices to campuses, credible messenger programs inside facilities, and a learning collaborative for service providers.
The presenter said the department’s diversion evaluation "showed support" that programs saved Los Angeles County money and reduced young people’s re‑contact with law enforcement, and framed the approach as evidence‑driven with a willingness to course‑correct when needed. The transcript records these evaluation claims but does not include numerical results or an external citation in the session.
The presenter closed with outreach instructions—follow LA County Youth on Instagram, subscribe to the DYD newsletter and visit the DYD website for resources and local youth engagement opportunities such as monthly Youth Justice Reimagined bodies in several regions of the county.
Note on transcript inconsistencies: the session transcript uses two spellings for the mayor’s name (Emma Sheree and Emma Sharif) and several place or program names are recorded with uncertain spellings (for example, the transcript records "San Ballet"); those variations are noted in the event record and were not altered in the direct quotes above.
