Last weekend, I traveled to the Ventura Youth Prison in Camarillo, CA. There I joined families of incarcerated youth, formerly incarcerated youth, and allies from across the state to decry the abuses of the Division of Juvenile Justice. Their stories reveal a system that is violent, abusive and ineffective at rehabilitating youth. The pain and passion of the family members inspired me to continue to speak out for California youth.

See and hear highlights from the rally in Ventura:

Our rally in Ventura was profiled Sunday night on the news (Watch the great video in the top left of the article. Be patient as you may have to watch an ad first.) and received coverage in several local newspapers.

Though our message was heard loud and clear last weekend, it was not enough. We must continue to put pressure on Secretary Matthew Cate to ensure that the abuse of youth in the DJJ ends immediately. Act now.