A police officer got stopped Medina, directed within certain close graffiti, and you can asked the brand new high school pupil whether he previously spraying-painted brand new graffiti. Medina replied which he wasnt in control. The guy mentioned that brand new officer next gestured towards a painting spraying normally abandoned near the pavement suppress and you may told Medina: “Why cannot you pick you to definitely right up in my situation.”

Medina declined and you may ferzu slevový kód walked away. More 10 years afterwards, nowadays a grown-up, Medina shows thereon date and you may observes certainly the way the problem may have easily escalated and perhaps led to their arrest for an offence he had perhaps not committed.

“I have thus furious, with the knowledge that if i would have been naive in those days, to consider what would took place,” said Medina, 28.

Toward 24 hours like any most other, Abraham Medina is walking household out-of university into the Lawn Grove whenever the guy encountered a definitive moment: One to wrong move have landed him inside juvenile detention, nevertheless the small-thinking adolescent understood how to proceed

You to definitely feel wasn’t an isolated one to. Medina told you he along with his family members was indeed always stopped by police officials in the Garden Grove, in which he was raised, and in Santa Ana, in which the guy spent much of his time. Into his Santiago Senior school campus, Medina told you cops perform eliminate pupils aside and you will inquire further after and during supper to decide in the event your college students was for the gangs and assemble suggestions to have police files.

Medina went on to review during the College or university away from Ca, Irvine, however, he never ever forgot just how the guy, his friends, and neighborhood members of the family had been handled inside hard-on-offense time that caught up generations off youth towards county juvenile justice system.

Medina know this aggressive approach to this new policing and you can prosecution out of Latino youth only locked this new thus-called troublemakers out trailing pubs, but didnt get to the cause of that was operating young people to behave out or to visit crimes.

Thus 5 years before, Medina began operating and you can trying with respect to this new citys teens included in Santa Ana People and Males from Colour (BMOC), an organization focused on keeping young people in school and you can off this new juvenile fairness system. If this is actually to make presentations till the Santa Ana college board, collaborating with Orange Condition probation officials toward selection to detention, or maybe just hooking up which have young people and you may moms and dads during the community forums, Medina generated one thing obvious: detention and you may punitive procedures were not helping Santa Anas youth.

Alternatively, Medina advocated on use out of curative justice practices, and this eschew conventional types of abuse such as juvenile hall detention and you can university expulsion, in support of strategies that allow youthfulness when planning on taking duty having its methods, plus render intervention characteristics to reach the root regarding its behavioral affairs.

But he and his colleagues in the BMOC, in which up until a year ago the guy supported because opportunity manager, seen a common bond among the more youthful boys they served

Of numerous got mental health and behavioral factors along with learning disabilities, said Medina, that is getting his benefits degree inside legal and forensic mindset.

“The programs are made to be culturally informed and you may shock advised, but without a doubt we have been confronted by the childhood that dual diagnoses,” told you Medina. “And they childhood are the ones whom fall under this new juvenile justice program, additionally the teenager justice system possibly doesnt learn how to react in it.”

“These youth are those exactly who fall under this new teenager justice system, additionally the teenager fairness system possibly does not understand how to function on them.”