By The Vanguard Staff
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Interim San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins came under heavy criticism for her alleged “Anti-Youth Policies” Friday by a coalition of community groups and activists.
“Let’s make two things clear. First, anyone 17 and under is NOT an adult, and a lack of alternatives to incarcerating youth would be a failure of both the District Attorney’s leadership and efforts towards justice reform. Second, San Francisco cannot and must not incarcerate its way out of poverty, systemic racism, or a public health crisis,” said Joy Zhan, co-president of the San Francisco Young Democrats.
SFYD’s statement, signed by 17 others, was issued after an endorsement interview with the interim DA that left the group “extremely disappointed in District Attorney Jenkins’ characterization of young people as being ‘too uninformed’’ to vote at 16 or 17, yet able to commit heinous crimes and should therefore be tried as adults in court, as well as her implementation of a ‘Juvenile Review Team’ and ‘five-strikes policy.’”
Friday that coalition called on DA Brooke Jenkins and the Office of the District Attorney to refuse to charge minors as adults in court, revoke the new drug misdemeanor (i.e. five strikes) policy; work to reduce the population of and eventually close Juvenile Hall and commit to supporting diversion and other alternatives to incarceration, in collaboration with community partners.
“Our criminal justice system is a cycle and keeping kids out of it in the first place should be our top priority using diversion programs proven to reduce juvenile crime rates. Jails don’t teach kids responsibility, schools do.” said John Hamasaki, former Police Commissioner and candidate for District Attorney.
“Anyone who believes in science and fairness understands why we need to keep youth out of the adult system, (and) for years young people have been working to dismantle inhumane and unfair policies that criminalize and harm youth,” said Lucero Herrera, Advocacy and Policy Director of the Young Women’s Freedom Center.
Herrera added, “We believe in the power of the community to create alternatives OUTSIDE of law enforcement, both as a long-term demand and the need for transformation; but also the immediate need to reinvest in prevention and a reduction of the youth population to zero.”
Is SFYD the same group that stormed and disrupted the debate Thursday night and heckled DA Jenkins causing her to leave early over safety concerns?
DA Jenkins has nothing to worry about as she leads comfortably in all the polls.
She has plenty to worry about even if she does win reelection
Like what David, mopping up after Boudin’s mess?
Or maybe the almost daily hit pieces coming from a blog?
She’s putting forth policies that have been proven not to work, at some point it will catch up to her.
Speaking of putting forth policies that didn’t work, it sure caught up to Boudin didn’t it?
Give DA Jenkins a chance.
It’s hypocritical to say give someone a chance when her predecessor got two years during a pandemic before being recalled.
But the real problem is that the policies that she is putting forward work against evidence-based best practices. Incarceration doesn’t reduce drug problems, it makes them worse.
No, what’s hypocritical is complaining about someone not getting a chance when you are refusing to give DA Jenkins a chance.
Doing the same policies over and over and expecting a different result is a definition of insanity. I would be happy to give her a chance if she put forth policies that had a chance of working.
These aren’t hit pieces since they reveal the truth of DA Jenkins idiotic policies. She doesn’t deserve any more time. The election is already in progress. She made her bed, now she must be lay in it. She will likely get elected, but that doesn’t mean people should continue to oppose her!
LOL, I completely agree with you!