Immigration Attorney and founder of Mundo Legal, Yesenia Acosta, is a volunteer member of the Latine Advisory Board for Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office under Gascon.
The advisory board presented an important event in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month to help tackle the topic of youth incarceration which remains a large problem in Latino communities.
The event was attended by about 300 people combined both in person and via Zoom. Attorney Acosta was very proud of the team that came together to make this important townhall event a big success.
District Attorney George Gascón, LADA's Latine Advisory Board, the Probation Oversight Commission, service providers and advocates held the panel discussion addressing the state of Latine youth in the criminal justice system. The discussion focused on systemic issues contributing to the disproportionate incarceration of Latine youth, including racial inequities and socio-economic barriers.
Attorney Yesenia Acosta commented, “It was inspiring to see how many people truly care about working together to resolve issues negatively impacting Latino youth. There are many factors involved and there is no single solution, but we all have the power to share our knowledge and experience in making a difference one step at a time.”
Experts, community leaders, and youth advocates shared insights on community-based interventions, prevention strategies, and actionable steps toward creating thriving communities. This event sought to open dialogue among advocates form different spheres to start finding solutions that support Latine youth. The Latine Advisory Board will continue with more follow-up topics in the coming year.
For those interested in the report about youth incarceration sparked the discussion for the LADA Latine Advisory Board was from the Probation Oversight Commission's snapshot Demographic report of incarcerated youth, available here.
If you are interested in becoming involved, the following organizations are working to resolve these issues:
RESOURCES
Links to the organizations and additional resources mentioned throughout the program:
LADA’s Bureau of Victim Services
Homies Unidos
Healing Urban Barrios
Anti Recidivism Coalition