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San Jose says Youth Empowerment Alliance served 13,000 people and reported declines in juvenile arrests
Summary
City staff reported the San Jose Youth Empowerment Alliance served more than 13,000 youth and families and delivered over 460,000 service hours; youth participants gave public testimony urging continued funding and praising mentorship and the Clean Slate program.
Olympia Williams, deputy director of PRNS’s Community Services Division, told the Neighborhood Services and Education Committee that the San Jose Youth Empowerment Alliance served more than 13,000 youth and families last year and delivered over 460,000 hours of services citywide. Staff credited coordinated prevention, intervention, diversion and healing services with measurable outcomes in priority schools and neighborhoods.
Williams said three of four prioritized schools saw reductions in chronic absenteeism, the most serious school incidents declined by about 11%, and juvenile arrests in San Jose fell by 5%. The report highlighted expanded grant programs (Best and the Safe Summer initiative), growth in San Jose Works workforce completions and an expanded Clean Slate tattoo‑removal program that grew from 604 to 804 clients.
Following the presentation, more than a dozen current and former program participants gave two‑minute public comments describing individual impacts—graduating early, securing jobs through San Jose Works, improving attendance and mental‑health outcomes through mentorship, and accessing tattoo removal through Clean Slate. Josue Pena, a Youth Intervention participant, summarized the tone of the comments: “Please continue funding youth programs to help other kids like me.”
Councilmembers voiced strong support for preserving funding. Several members said youth interventions are a public‑safety investment and urged administration to protect program funding as the city balances other budget pressures. Staff said the manager’s budget addendum will include recommendations for the proposed $500,000 allocation and that budget discussions are ongoing.
The committee moved to accept the annual report and heard public testimony emphasizing program impact and the need to avoid cuts to intervention and prevention services.
What happens next: staff will include specific spending recommendations in the MBA and return with evaluation data in the fall; public commenters requested continued prioritization of funding.
