By Christina Lorella Kuzu, Communications Specialist with the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention

The end of May and early June marked the beginning of three new youth programs at the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center (CCFJC) in King County, expanding services to youth in custody and allowing a plethora of additional opportunities for residents to spend time participating in group activities together with their peers.

On Friday, May 18, Providence Kamana and Grady Mukanya of Cocreative Culture visited each of the units at CCFJC, presenting information to the youth about their organization, introducing themselves, and showcasing their musical talents. 

The pair returned on May 24 and worked with four young people directly in the studio, teaching the techniques of both producing and recording music.

Providence shared the African philosophy of “Ubuntu,” a word that derives from the Zulu language and refers to the interconnectedness of humanity. The young people talked in a circle about what community meant to them, stating their names and the Ubuntu phrase, “I am because we are.”

Even while reviewing lyrics, Grady and Providence encouraged participants to select songs rooted in the concepts of interconnectedness and humanity; an idea that, at the end of the day, we aren’t so different from one another after all.

Youth who have demonstrated good behavior while in the facility have been invited to participate in this “studio” experience in future weeks, where they were introduced to, or will build upon, their songwriting, producing or recording skills on Friday evenings.   

During sessions, youth will participate in groups of four and will attend in two-week rotations, allowing as many young people as possible to get a chance to partake in the program.  

Anyone who is eligible and nearing their eighteenth birthday or who will be leaving the facility soon will be prioritized. Youth struggling with behavioral issues showed a desire to work on their behaviors, eager to improve their status with the hope of participating in future weeks. 

Participants get to keep their work and take their recordings with them when they depart the facility. They also can have their music uploaded to their personal mp3 players while at CCFJC, providing them access to their personal art.

Cocreative Culture provides a variety of programs focusing on their mission to “improve, economic and environmental conditions for young people from historically marginalized backgrounds through our holistic approaches.” 

Pro Se Potential

On Saturday, May 19, De’Vonte’ Parson, executive director of Pro Se Potential, visited the CCFJC, and spoke to youth in two residential units about his upcoming programming: Building a Brand and a Business 101. 

He told the story of his own incarceration and the troubles he faced within the legal system, drawing in their attention and creating an instant connection. The teens were engrossed by De’Vonte’s past and his ability to overcome hardship following his time in custody, and furthermore, build a profit from telling his story.

De’Vonte’ shared that, through his program, he would help these young people learn how to shift their mindsets and develop vision boards as a blueprint for success in life. He let them know that they too, could follow in his footsteps to leverage their stories in building a personal brand that ties into their future businesses and that, if they chose to make the change, they could alter the trajectory of their lives. 

Director Allen Nance stopped by to meet De’Vonte’, learn more about the new programming, and to engage in conversation with the youth.

De’Vonte’ will be working with two units each Saturday beginning June 8 for consecutive weeks before rotating to additional units. 

Pro Se Potential offers a variety of programs to young people in the community, including the “Alternative Path Program.”

This program caters to youth who have been impacted by the justice system and are needing to complete diversion and/or probation requirements, or a stipulation for part of sentencing. It includes mentorship, a therapy program that rewards participants with incentives, resource navigation, and socio-emotional learning.

The Silent Task Force

A third organization, The Silent Task Force, visited the youth four times between the end of May and early June to share information about their programs and to introduce an abundance of programming their staff will be offering the youth.  

Mona Chapman, Fayth Njenga, Malachi Crenshaw, and DaWan Dubois will be rotating shifts four times per week, offering young people programing in: Alternatives to Violence, Healthy Relationships, Artistic Expression, Independent Living Skills, Positive Personal Identity, Social Skills, Supporting Those Impacted by Community Violence, and more. 

The youth engaged with Fayth, Mona, Malachi, and DaWan during their introductions, sharing information about what they liked to do in their free time. Their responses ranged anywhere from “chilling and driving,” to “soccer,” and “birdwatching.” 

Many of the young people expressed an interest in learning more about developing healthy relationships in their lives and finding alternative ways to respond to violence. 

DaWan’s story of his past incarceration and his ability to rise above through a construction apprenticeship program and build a successful career was intriguing to many residents, and there was quite a bit of interest from youth in further exploring future career paths. 

They looked forward to getting started with The Silent Task Force in the coming days and weeks.

In addition to the above new programs, youth have access to the following programs, among others:

• Progress Pushers – Using the Credible Messenger framework to connect youth to mentors and much needed skills and opportunities. Five times per week.
• Pongo Poetry – Trauma-informed poetry writing workshops which use personal poetry to facilitate healing for youth coping with traumas, such as abuse, neglect, racism, and exposure to violence. Available weekly.
• Project Canine – Volunteer therapy dog teams provide youth with much needed care and affection. Three times weekly.
• Apoyo Program – Consejo Counseling and Referral Service’s trauma-informed treatment and care provide constructive alternatives to alcohol use, gang involvement and community violence includes skill building and youth development activities. Three times per week.
• First Sight Productions – Provides media literacy services to the youth.
• DAJD is working toward finalizing contracts with organizations that will teach creative writing, career exploration and financial wellness beginning in the summer months.
• Additional programs are on break for the summer months and will resume in the fall.  

Residents also have access to weekly programs for pickleball, chess, a movie club, arts and crafts, yoga, and other constructive, pro-social activities, including time in the library. 

Youth also attend school each weekday in a classroom setting with instruction provided by four teachers from Seattle Public Schools. During the school year, instruction is provided full-time and shifts to part-time during the summer months.