From Punishment to Possibility: Investing in Youth Development in L.A.

What if I told you that for the same cost of incarcerating 22 youth for one year, we could connect 25,000 young people to opportunities that strengthen their futures?

That’s the story of Ready to Rise, a public-private partnership between Liberty Hill Foundation, California Community Foundation, and Los Angeles County. What began in 2019 as a $3 million pilot has grown into a $60 million initiative supporting more than 100 organizations and 25,000 youth—with the potential to reach $200 million over the next seven years. Ready to Rise invests in mentoring, after-school programs, mental health services, arts, and leadership development.

Walking through Chuco’s Justice Center, home of the Youth Justice Coalition, is a powerful reminder of what’s possible. Once a courthouse where young people awaited sentencing to youth prison, today it is a community hub for learning, organizing, and healing.

To understand the significance of this transformation, look back. In the 2000s, Los Angeles incarcerated more youth than anywhere in the nation, with over 4,000 youth incarcerated in 2001. That same year, more than 15,000 youth were arrested across the county. By 2017, Los Angeles still ranked number one in arrests and incarceration — for all the wrong reasons.

But in 2018, things began to change. After years of organizing and advocacy, youth incarceration started to decline. Communities demanded care, not cages.

I’m proud that Inside Philanthropy recently highlighted this work. Leading Ready to Rise alongside incredible community partners has been one of the greatest honors of my career and proof that when we invest in care, not punishment, young people and communities thrive — and community safety grows.

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