Reformed Bay Area Teen Convicts Push Pending Bill to Spare Young Offenders

Guzman, now 38, was eventually paroled and went on to graduate from UC Berkeley, and earn a law degree from UCLA. He is currently director of the Oakland-based California Youth Justice Initiative, criss-crossing the state and country working to eliminate routine incarceration of youth offenders. Last year, he was awarded the Juvenile Law Center’s Leadership Prize.

“We’re putting pain to these kids because we don’t know how to fix them,” Guzman said. “The biggest threat to public safety is the loss of hope.”