Students will work as advocates and mentors to support youth who are participating in the Youth Early Intervention Program (YEIP) in the Fall and youth who are incarcerated at Contra Costa County’s juvenile hall in the Spring.
Under the supervision of the Contra Costa County Public Defender’s Office, students will work as advocates to support youth who are at different stages of involvement in the criminal legal process.
In the Fall semester, students will work with the Youth Early Intervention Program (YEIP) to mentor youth following an initial contact with the criminal legal system. Under the supervision of the public defender’s office, students will mentor the youth with the goal of avoiding further contact with law enforcement and/or criminal legal proceedings. Students will meet with their mentees weekly and attend bi-weekly SLP meetings, including training experiences and speaker presentations from professionals in the youth advocacy space. Students will act as liaisons between the mentees and their attorneys and social workers in the public defender’s office.
In the Spring semester, students will work with youth incarcerated in Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall. Students will work one-on-one, or with a fellow Berkeley student, to mentor a client of the Public Defender’s Office, Juvenile Unit. Students will meet weekly with clients at Juvenile Hall in person. Students can expect to familiarize themselves with their client’s case file, develop relationships with juvenile clients, and serve as liaisons between the client and the public defender’s office. Students will provide advice and guidance to their mentees. Students may attend review and/or release hearings and have the opportunity to write letters in support of their clients. Most importantly, students will provide an additional form of support to their mentees as they complete the commitment programs and work toward release.
Supervision: Students will provide services to clients through YAP under the supervision of attorneys at the Contra Costa County Office of the Public Defender.
Time Commitment: Approx. 20 hours each semester (One to two hours weekly).
For more information, please contact the student leaders at YAP@law.berkeley.edu.