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Honoring community leaders transforming the lives of incarcerated youth and adults

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO – Each year The Center for Young Women's Development honors the memory of Cheyenne Bell by celebrating individuals who work with and on behalf of those in the juvenile and adult justice systems in the Bay Area.

For 10 years as the Director of Community Programs in San Francisco's juvenile hall, Cheyenne Bell brought in nonprofits like CYWD in to offer hope, educational opportunities and services for at-risk youth. Like Cheyenne Bell, we believe that improving the justice system takes the expertise of individuals working on all sides. With this in mind, we are awarding three leaders:

Dorsey Nunn, Co-Director for Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, Founder of Free at Last, Co-founder of All of Us or None. Mr. Nunn, who was formerly incarcerated, has helped women and children struggling with addiction by starting “Free At Last” in East Palo Alto. He was the driving force behind the “Ban the Box” campaign to eliminate, "Have you ever been arrested?" from employment forms, and he worked to maintain the Prop. 36 diversion program for drug offenders.

Sharon Owsley, Deputy District Attorney at the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, Back on Track Program. Ms. Owsley returned to law school mid-career to advocate for victims of crime. In her four years as a Deputy District Attorney and the head attorney for the Back on Track Program, she works with youth facing criminal drug charges to ensure that youth have access to opportunities to reenter their communities with pride, skills, and a fresh start.

Kaina Walker, Mentoring Program Manager, Youth Justice Institute. Ms. Walker was the founding mentor of the program in 2001, and became the manager when it became a program of the Youth Justice Institute. Since 2003, Ms. Walker has paired more than 700 incarcerated young men and women with 500 young adult mentors from San Francisco City College and SF State University.

Tickets $75

Awards Ceremony 6 pm – 9 pm
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The San Francisco War Memorial Building
401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco CA

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The Center for Young Women’s Development (CYWD) is a nonprofit organization comprised of low and no-income young women who have been involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems and/or the underground street economy. The organization’s mission is to empower and inspire young women to create positive change in their lives and communities. Programs include employment training, advocacy, support groups, and counseling. The core values are sisterhood, self-determination, social justice and spirituality.