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09/29/2026

I have worked with youth involved in Juvenile Probation for many years—both in the community and in Juvenile Hall.

There has always been a sadness for me in this work because so many of these young people are beginning life with significant challenges already stacked against them.

But I have also experienced the other side.
I have had young people come back to see me years later as adults to tell me they are doing well. Those are the moments that remind me why reaching a young person at the right time can matter so much.

California is moving toward helping justice-involved youth receive the services they need, successfully complete probation, and move forward with their lives. I strongly support that direction.

But there is another challenge: How do we get young people to actually engage with what we are trying to teach them?
Many youth on probation struggle with follow-through. Traditional classes may feel like one more thing they are being told to do rather than something that has meaning for them.

So I decided to try something different. We took our Anger Management program and gamified it.

The goal is simple: make learning more interactive, more engaging, and hopefully more memorable.

And then something funny happened.
I took the class myself.

I discovered things about my own anger and how I respond to it that I hadn't really thought about before—which was particularly amusing because I WROTE THE CLASS!

Now I would like to test it with the people who know this population best.

I am looking for 5 California Juvenile Probation Officers.
I am inviting each officer to:

• Take the program themselves at no cost.
• Select up to 3 probationers who could benefit from it, also at no cost.
• Allow those youth to earn a Certificate of Completion that can be provided to the court or referring agency.
• Give us candid feedback about what works, what doesn't, and what could make the program stronger.
I also want to hear from probation officers about what other skills and classes they believe their youth actually need.
Anger management?
Healthy relationships?
Decision-making?
Parenting?
Communication?
Self-esteem?
Conflict resolution?
If we want young people to change, we need more than requirements.
We need to give them tools they will actually use.
If you are a California Juvenile Probation Officer—or know someone who might be interested—please message me. I would be happy to share the details.

09/29/2026

09/08/2024

This week was a sad one for me. I lost someone who was like a daughter to me. My cousin Darlene's daughter Beverly died from complications due to diabetes. Bev, Darlene, me and my kids lived together when the kids were young, we were both divorced and startng our lives over. I have so many memories of those times-both funny and stressful. Mainly, the memories are of love, aggravation-teens are challenging-and growth.
Beverly was tenacious-and she showed that tenacity in the way she clung to live for so long. There are many people who will miss her-including her long love Marty. I treasure Darlene's generosity in sharing her daughter with me and I hope that she knows how strongly Beverly loved her. So, for all of us here, remember to tell the ones you love that you love them, hug and snuggle whenever you can. fill your memory bag as full as possible.