SAN FRANCISCO – The Young Women’s Freedom Center applauds and supports San Francisco Supervisors Hillary Ronen and Shamann Walton’s plans to introduce legislation to mandate the closure of San Francisco’s Juvenile Hall by December 2021, with Supervisor Matt Haney as a co-sponsor. For over 20 years, the YWFC has been working with young women, girls, and transgender or gender non-conforming youth in San Francisco who have been incarcerated in Juvenile Hall and leading community organizing efforts to demand alternatives to incarceration for youth. Most of the organization's staff were once themselves incarcerated in San Francisco’s youth jail and know firsthand how this system is failing our young people.

Let's help our folks inside connect with their loved ones and meet their basic needs. SB 555 will reduce the heavy financial burden placed on the families and support systems of incarcerated individuals.

We are excited to announce that, Jessica Nowlan, Young Women's Freedom Center’s Executive Director, has been selected as a 2019-2021 Leading Edge Fund fellow. Jessica will join eight other bold leaders who are building movements to fundamentally change the odds for, and with, the most disenfranchised Californians.