President Obama began his campaign for prison reform earlier in the month by commuting the sentences of 46 nonviolent drug offenders. Days later, he visited the El Reno federal prison outside Oklahoma City, the first sitting president ever to visit a federal penitentiary. After his visit, the president described the men he met at El Reno as “young people who made mistakes that aren’t that different from the mistakes I made.” Below, We’Ced youth journalists weigh in on the president’s decision to visit El Reno and his nascent efforts to reform the country’s criminal justice system.
The event, hosted by the Guadalupano Youth Society of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, was created to provide South Merced residents with information they may not access to otherwise.
“The Trafficked Life,” set in Bakersfield, shares the stories of survivors like Diana Cisneros, who was sex trafficked by her father beginning at the age of seven. The film gives viewers a glimpse of Bakersfield’s trafficking underworld and also highlights efforts by advocates who are combating the issue and offering services to victims.
Organizers and community members gathered in Merced on June 24th to pay homage to the nine African-American victims killed at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Organized in conjunction with Live Free Merced and Mt. Pisgah, the local AME church, the event brought together about 60 people.
My heart begins to pound as I enter the gym at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) on the outskirts of Chowchilla, about 20 miles south of Merced. Within moments memories of my own time behind bars flood my mind.
We’Ced youth journalists recently spent time discussing the massacre at the Emanuel African African Methodist Episcopalian Church in downtown Charleston, which had a white shooter killing nine African-Americans. Many We’Ced members expressed outrage at the actions of the shooter, but the conversation soon began to circle around another issue: gun control. The tragic violence of this incident rekindled questions about how we regulate guns and guns access in our country.
My celebration of the Supreme Court decision comes with the knowledge that the new law is not a cure-all. I'm happy that America has recognized that everyone deserves to be with person they love without limitations, but I will not stop pushing for full equity in my community. This fight is far from over.
Though the numbers are grim, perhaps the tide is beginning to turn. A bright spot: on Friday May 22nd, the 52nd Annual Commencement ceremony at Merced College took place and of the 1,180 degrees and certificate awarded, a majority went to Latinos.
Calling it one of the “best” budgets the state has ever had, California Gov. Jerry Brown said the $167.6 billion dollar budget the legislature passed Tuesday would pump more money into child care and education, pay down the state’s debt by $1.9 billion and provide health care for its undocumented children.
When I was a kid, I remember the centers at McNamara and Stephan Leonard parks being the heart and life of the community. The Mac was so beautiful. I swam in the pool, watched my mom play softball and spent my weekends there. I remember the Mac center being staffed by Parks and Recreation workers.
Translate
