How can we build more safe, supportive, and compassionate communities for all young people? Freedom 4 Youth (F4Y) is a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit that advocates for youth in juvenile detention, supports and empowers youth impacted by the juvenile justice system, and trains volunteers to do the same. It also collaborates with institutions like UCSB to create lasting change. In this moderated panel, F4Y co-founder Billi Jo Starr and staff and alumni in F4Y programs will assess the state of youth incarceration in Santa Barbara County, including the larger carceral system, and describe their efforts and those of others to move us away from punitive justice and toward the restoration of our communities.

Billi Jo Starr (PhD, Education, UCSB) is Executive Director and Co-Founder of Freedom 4 Youth. Her research focuses on special education and empowering youth in alternative education settings.

Leandra Harris is Director of Youth Programs at Freedom 4 Youth. She is also a peer counselor for foster youth and an experienced restorative justice practitioner.

Gio Olivo is an alumni member of Freedom 4 Youth.

Bryan Palacios is an alumni member of Freedom 4 Youth.

Joseph Blankholm (moderator) is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at UCSB.

This event is co-sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies, UCSB Legal Humanities Initiative, and the Blum Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy at UCSB.