Inside San Francisco's new restorative justice hub
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
DJDS cofounder Deanna Van Buren, left, and Community Works co-executive director Adrienne Hogg closely collaborated on the center's design. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios
Every inch of San Francisco's first restorative justice center is designed for healing — from the cozy reading nooks and colorful communal spaces to the comfy lounge-style chairs and art displays telling stories of survival.
The big picture: Community Works' new 6,000-square-foot space in the SoMa is one of the nation's few hubs focused on providing support rooted in restorative justice to youth affected by the criminal justice system, survivors of domestic violence and formerly incarcerated people.
What they're saying: "We were built on a foundation of restorative practices and art," Adrienne Hogg, co-executive director of Community Works, told Axios. "It's important to have good quality furniture and furnishings, so that when you come here, you can feel like you belong, that this is a space for you."
Between the lines: The space, which officially opened last week, offers reentry assistance for adults, therapy for teens, a youth diversion program and support for children of incarcerated parents, among other services, with the capacity to serve between 1,500 to 2,000 people annually.
- More than 80% of participants are people of color and 75% of staff have lived experience with incarceration or system involvement, Hogg said.
- The goal is to curb incarceration rates and the criminal justice system's toll on low-income communities of color through a process rooted in resolution and accountability rather than punishment.
The latest: The Bay Area-based organization partnered with the architecture firm Designing Justice + Designing Spaces (DJDS) to establish its first location in the city, expanding upon programming offered at jails, prisons and their longtime hub in Oakland.
Follow the money: Getting the center up and running cost just $600,000 — down from an estimated $1.2 million — thanks to pro bono work from Turner Construction and donations from furniture vendors and other partners, Hogg said.
Zoom in: Jakaela Foster, a 26-year-old east Oakland native, started as a participant in Project What!, which supports children of incarcerated parents, when she was 15 years old before later becoming a coordinator in the program.
- She's gained confidence and new skills and takes pride in continuing to be involved as program leader to support Black youth, she said.
- "'The most common way to give up your power is by believing that you don't have any,'" Foster said, quoting poet Alice Walker. "I feel like that's a great summary of what Project What! did for me as a young person — they taught me that I do have power."