CURYJ

Every young person is a blessing and has a sacred purpose

This belief is a driving principle that fuels the work of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ, pronounced “courage”), an organization formed in 2011 in Oakland by formerly incarcerated community activists focused on transforming the lives of young people.

“CURYJ is a spot that goes above and beyond, trying to broaden your horizons and shows you that there’s better things in life …they’re willing to support your dream,” said Christian Ortiz, an alum of the organization.

CURYJ was born out of a group called Stop the Injunction Coalition designed to defeat Oakland’s gang injunctions that disproportionately impacted Black and Brown youth. CURYJ was the architect of the first organized effort in the nation to defeat Oakland’s gang injunction and the unrelenting effort led to all injunctions being lifted and all cases dismissed as of 2015.

That success was foundational to CURYJ, whose goal is to end youth incarceration in California by 2030. The organization is designed to harness the power of young people to transform their communities by investing in healing, growth and leadership of those aged 14 to 26 years old.

Centering the young people and elevating them is critical. “When they’re finding their voice and power… it’s giving them a sense of purpose, that their lived experience has value,” said George Galvis, Executive Director, CURYJ.

Ortiz credits CURYJ with helping him turn his life around. He’d been in the juvenile system since he was 15 and admits he’d been in a lot of trouble. Shortly after his 18th birthday, he’d grown weary of how he was living his life. “This can’t be the only thing that I have to look forward to,” he said. Steered by a caring mentor, he went to CURYJ where he found direction, understanding and purpose.

Ortiz was inspired to realize his entrepreneurial dreams. After working for a cleaning company, he came to see that he could run a similar business. He shared his plans with CURYJ and, with guidance, Ortiz started Speedy-Cleaning Services, LLC. CURYJ was his first client and he’s since expanded his customer base. Whenever he needs support, or questions answered, Ortiz knows he can turn to CURYJ.

CURYJ boasts an array of programs to nurture young people. It has youth counseling services, and a life coaching program with intensive individualized support. There’s also a youth leadership development program for high schoolers, and the Homies for Justice program offers paid internships.

Staffers, known as Violence Interrupters, focus on community engagement and offer support for those at the center of violence. CURYJ also hosts workshops, learning trips and outings to allow participants to connect with nature. It holds neighborhood clean-ups, cultural events and its community garden yielded more than 500 pounds of organically grown produce last year.

The Dream Beyond Bars Fellowship encourages leadership development and boasts support of a strong alumni network. Swai Lakai, a 2023 graduate of the program, said “It has made a huge impact on my life from opening my mind to so many positive things to giving knowledge and work experience. It has shown me I am more than my past and has helped me to create the person I am today, which is a leader, an inspiration to others by showing that you are not your mistakes and there is always room to elevate.”

One of its important connections to youth is through its Community Peace program grounded in understanding that culture is healing. “We recognize we have a common pain, a common oppression, and a common struggle,” Galvis said.

The California Endowment’s (TCE) role was crucial to the very existence of CURYJ. It was the first investor of a grant to kickstart the organization. TCE was a significant resource that also leveraged relationships to help CURYJ facilitate connections with critical partners. “We came from being a ragtag organization, a passion project to one that now has a $6 million annual operating budget, a staff of 35 and owns the building that will become the Oscar Grant Youth Power Zone,” Galvis said.

CURYJ has a major campaign underway to establish the Oscar Grant Youth Power Zone and Healing Retreat Center. The aim is to have more than a physical site; one that is the first building block of community infrastructure to help realize an end to youth incarceration in California.

After years of activism, the cumulative effect of reforms it has supported has sparked optimism for the thousands of lives touched by CURYJ. Galvis said, “we’ve moved mountains in the state of California through policy and systems change work….and that has really restored hope.”