Podcast Summary: Youth Justice Transformation in Action

Episode: A New Path to Success—Prosecutor-Led Reform in Youth Justice

Release Date: September 30, 2025
Host: National Resource Center for the Transformation of Youth Justice
Guests:

• Samira Seydou, Chief, Juvenile Division, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
• Fanny Yu, Deputy District Attorney, Juvenile Division, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
• Host: John Toole, Executive Director, RFK NRC for the Transformation of Youth Justice

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the prosecutor-led Juvenile Diversion Initiative (JDI) in San Diego County—a transformative effort designed to divert youth from the formal justice system, particularly those accused of lower-level felonies, and connect them with individualized, community-based support. The discussion features deep insights on gaps in traditional diversion programs, the critical role of community partnerships, best practices in individualized planning, and how San Diego measures success and adapts to ongoing challenges.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Personal Journeys and Commitment to Youth Justice

Samira Seydou and Fanny Yu share their backgrounds and motivations.

• Samira: Initially had no particular aim to work with youth but found the work deeply rewarding:

  “What I’ve enjoyed most is seeing the progress—seeing [youth] on probation, overcoming trauma or difficult situations to actually do what they need to progress and grow.” (04:22)

• Fanny: Drawn in by the collaborative nature of juvenile justice and the resilience of young people:

  “They’re some of the most intelligent and resilient people I’ve ever met… For me, seeing them engage and receive services has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.” (06:45)

2. Why Prosecutor-Led Diversion? Filling the Felony Gap

San Diego’s District Attorney’s Office identified a critical gap in diversion for felony-level offenses that law enforcement and probation couldn’t address due to legal constraints.

• Samira explains:

  “[The] gap…was for lower level felonies because law enforcement did not have the ability legally to divert those. Not every youth who commits a felony needs to go through the court system.” (08:23)

• Careful preparatory work: Stakeholder buy-in from courts, public defenders, community-based service providers, and local government was essential before launch.

3. Core Goals: Balancing Restoration and Accountability

JDI aims to:

• Reduce youth exposure to formal justice systems
• Integrate restorative principles—including accountability and empathy
• Involve victims meaningfully in the process (optional, but impactful)
• Engage over 50+ community organizations as partners

Fanny recounts a memorable restorative circle:

“The business owner wasn't trying to make the youth feel bad, but to help him understand… He even offered to mentor the young man—a moment far more meaningful than a courtroom victim impact letter.” (13:24)

• Samira summarizes:

  “Our main goal really is to make sure that once they go through this program, they grow and learn—and never touch the justice system as offenders again.” (15:01)

4. Community Partnerships: The Backbone of JDI

• Over 50 subcontractors collaborate, from grassroots organizations to established providers.
• JDI is administered in partnership with the National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC), which coordinates services and manages victim engagement.

“We require our program administrator…to subcontract and partner with as many potential organizations or individuals as possible, not only serving our youth but also building up emerging organizations.” (16:13)

5. Eligibility and Referral Criteria

Only youth under 18 at law enforcement contact are eligible; cases must be provable and not pose serious public safety risks.

• Cases involving serious violence, great risk, or unaddressed mental health needs may be ineligible.
• Each case is screened with a holistic lens, considering school records, family input, and engagement ability.

6. NCRC’s Role & Victim Engagement

NCRC is the primary program administrator—with specific staff for case management, outreach, and victim engagement.

• Victim engagement coordinator approaches harmed parties to explain the JDI process and encourage participation in restorative circles.
• Not all victims are receptive at first, but some become strong advocates after participating.

  Story: A skeptical 72-year-old victim, after a positive circle experience, volunteers as a surrogate victim for future circles. (23:06)

7. Assessment and Individualized Planning

Every youth receives a San Diego Risk and Resiliency Assessment (SDRRC2), the same validated tool used by probation.

• Assessment informs a tailored case plan, ensuring consistency and evidence-based resource allocation.
• Early assessment/intervention avoids the stigma of conviction and supports lasting change.

8. What Do Individualized Plans Look Like?

• Wellness: CBT curricula, one-on-one counseling, family-based treatment, and substance abuse support as needed.
• Pro-social Activities: Creative channels for skills and social connection (art, mentoring, outdoor groups).
• Educational Advocacy: Linkages to educational advocates for youth and, sometimes, their families.

Fanny:

“We’ve kind of seen that [traditional consequences] don’t help after Covid—the isolation, the disconnection… Our pro social activities are to develop confidence, hope, and support future business paths, like turning graffiti skills into art careers.” (31:07)

• Program Duration:

  “We don’t want a youth to be in JDI longer than six months. This is supposed to be a lighter touch than the traditional system.” (33:45)

9. Evaluating Effectiveness: Data, Feedback, and Evolution

• Partnering with the San Diego Association of Government (SANDAG) for program evaluation.
• Key metrics: Completion rates (currently 82%), as well as plans to measure long-term recidivism (post-age 18 involvement in the justice system).
• Analysis of racial + gender disparities, service effectiveness, and offense type completion.

Samira:

“Is completion really a measure of success?... We’re now looking at recidivism after leaving the program to make sure we're really achieving our core goal.” (36:07)

10. Challenges and Lessons Learned

• Transportation: Addressed through dedicated program funds to eliminate access barriers.
• Victim Restitution: NCRC established a Victim Restoration Fund, covering restitution for youth/families unable to pay.
• Building Trust & Participation in Black and Hispanic Communities: Launched a Peer Advisory Group (formerly involved youth/caregivers) to reduce skepticism and support families at intake.

11. Vision for Systemic Change

• Samira:

  “There is a lack of services or access to services for youth who don’t find themselves in the justice system… If they had access to this before, how many lives could we impact? We need to provide services very early on, before any justice system contact.” (45:05)

• Fanny:

  “Don’t be afraid to start… The most important thing is to train on trauma-informed approaches. Youth will always know if we aren’t authentic.” (47:24)
  “Listen first before you act. We need to be open to the perspective of community, schools, and youth themselves.” (47:36)

Notable Quotes & Highlights

• “Not every youth that commits a felony…needs to go through the court system—not court intervention is required for every single felony that a youth commits.”
  Samira Seydou, 08:30

• “We have over 50 subcontractors in the JDI program right now…The community is doing the hard work day in, day out, meeting with the youth.”
  Fanny Yu, 16:13

• “One of the core goals of the program is to reduce recidivism. We want to look at whether, once they turn 18, they find themselves in the adult system—have we made a lasting difference?”
  Samira Seydou, 35:43

• “Transportation is a barrier…Successful completion increased when we invested in transportation support.”
  Fanny Yu, 38:45

• “We created a Victim Restoration Fund…so even if a family can’t pay, the victim is not left without recourse.”
  Fanny Yu, 40:00

• “If we provided these services before [justice system contact]…How many lives could we keep out of the system?”
  Samira Seydou, 45:59

• “Listening to youth, listening to schools, listening to law enforcement—it’s all about impacting so we can have better outcomes for everyone.”
  Fanny Yu, 48:28

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:31 — Overview: Prosecutor-led reform and diversion in San Diego
• 03:48 — Guests’ motivations for working in youth justice
• 08:09 — Origins and rationale of the Juvenile Diversion Initiative (JDI)
• 11:11 — Core goals: Restoration, accountability, and victim engagement
• 16:00 — Power of community partnerships and resource expansion
• 18:21 — Criteria and process for JDI referral
• 20:55 — NCRC’s contract role; victim engagement and coordination
• 25:11 — Use of validated risk/needs assessments for individualized plans
• 31:06 — Real-world individualized supports for wellness, education, and social connection
• 35:15 — Evaluation metrics, completion rates, recidivism, and data-driven adaptation
• 38:40 — Major challenges: Transportation, restitution, trust-building
• 45:05 — Vision: Systemic change, importance of early service access
• 47:11 — Closing advice: Community partnerships, trauma-informed work, listening as cornerstone

Tone & Style

The episode maintains an open, collaborative, and pragmatic tone, balancing optimism with realism about challenges. Both guests are forthright, compassionate, and results-focused, repeatedly emphasizing partnership, trust, flexibility, and the importance of listening to youth and communities.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a resource-rich, candid exploration of prosecution-led youth diversion. San Diego’s JDI stands as a case study in bridging legal gaps, building robust community infrastructure, and constantly evaluating/adjusting to ensure equitable, effective outcomes for youth, families, and victims. Listeners considering similar reforms are strongly encouraged to revisit this episode for practical insight, and to reach out for partnership and implementation guidance.

For more, visit rfknrcjj.org/podcast.