San Francisco Young Adult Court gets youthful offenders back on track
SAN FRANCISCO -- For years, Lucas Cruz struggled with an addiction to meth. From age 16, he had been in and out of jail for committing crimes like auto and residential burglary.
"It was kind of an exhausting cycle," Cruz said.
The now 25-year-old entered various residential treatment programs at least six times but failed to get sober.
"I wanted the best of both worlds. I wanted to be stable but I also wanted to use," Cruz said.
It wasn't long ago when he was given a chance to enter Young Adult Court instead of being tried as an adult for non-violent crimes.
"l was so scared to go back to jail for a more serious crime given that I already had something serious on my record," Cruz said.
Superior Court Judge Bruce Chan oversees the eligible 18- to 24-year-old offenders who face non-violent convictions.
Participants like Cruz undergo mandatory treatment programs. Failure to meet court-ordered mandates results in being sent back into custody.
"If we had taken an approach of saying 'You only get one chance for treatment or two chances or three chances,' he wouldn't be where he is today," Chan said.
The city is ramping up funding for Young Adult Court from $800,000 per year to $1.3 million annually for the next five years.
It will provide for case managers, clinicians and counselors, something District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and Public Defender Mano Raju both support.
"The data is very good that a lot of the people avoid re-arrest and are able to move their lives in a more positive trajectory. That not only helps them and their families but keeps all of us safer," Raju said.
"We want to make sure that this is something that is sustainable because it does represent true reform in the system," Jenkins said.
This year's data, according to the San Francisco Office of the Medical Examiner, shows the number of drug overdose deaths in San Francisco is at a similar pace to the record 810 deaths last year. In 2017, there were 222 deaths.
"What I observe when I look outside, it's just not what it used to be even three or four years ago when I was using it. It's a completely different atmosphere," Cruz said.
These days, Cruz works at a city-funded treatment recovery program in the city's Tenderloin District. He checks to see if residents in recovery are clean.
"I try to tell them don't be the one that needs to be told to work hard," Cruz said.
It took Cruz four years to graduate from Young Adult Court with Judge Chan sending him back to jail at least five times.
The path to redemption continues.
"His story shows there's reason for hope. Hope is not just hoping things will get better or always expecting things will go smoothly. It's knowing this is the right thing to do," Chan said.
When he's not working, Cruz is studying at the Academy of Art University to become a fashion designer.
"It can be very hard sometimes but there is a really soft silver lining to where it becomes really fun," Cruz said.
Cruz has been clean and sober for more than three years now and the "fun" part of life is just beginning.
Since its inception in 2015, 173 graduates have gone through Young Adult Court.
Both D.A. Jenkins and Public Defender Raju say they support a permanent implementation of the court.