12th Annual Reentry Conference, Resource & Jobs Fair Draws 1,200 Attendees

Archbishop Cordileone ‘There is a lot of hope when we come together in a moment such as this.‘

By Saul Perez

Nearly 1,200 people streamed through the doors and crowded around the 160 booths with organizations offering hope and a second chance to formerly incarcerated youth, and adult men and women attending the 12th annual Restorative Justice Reentry Conference, Resource & Jobs Fair.

Organized by the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Restorative Justice Ministry, this year’s Sept. 13 event brought together an impressive 1,175 attendees and 160 organizations at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption Event Center in midtown San Francisco.

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone opened the all-day event with a prayer, emphasizing the importance of healing and reconciliation in today’s society. “There’s a lot of hurt, there’s a lot of pain in our society today. But there is a lot of hope when we come together in a moment such as this, when we give of ourselves to bring about such healing and reconciliation,” Archbishop Cordileone said.

“This is why we are here—“This is our Catholic mission—to walk alongside our brothers and sisters, just as Jesus would,” said Julio Escobar, the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Restorative Justice coordinator. He organized the event in collaboration with non-profit organizations, a San Francisco Juvenile Court judge, and the chiefs of juvenile probation for San Francisco and Contra Costa counties, among others.

A keynote discussion following the opening prayer focused on the rehabilitation of incarcerated adolescents and young adults, with more than 150 attendees listening to distinguished panelists, including San Francisco Superior Court Judge Roger Chan, Supervising Judge/Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court, Unified Family Court; Esa Ehmen-Krause, Chief Probation Officer of Contra Costa County; Katherine Weinstein Miller, Chief Probation Officer of San Francisco, and Daniel Macallair, Executive Director of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. Moderated by Escobar, the discussion included questions such as, “How important is community involvement in the rehabilitation process, and what role do you see for community organizations in supporting these efforts?”

For the first time, the conference welcomed directors of restorative justice ministries from eight dioceses across California, including Sacramento, Los Angeles, Oakland, Santa Rosa, San Diego, San Jose, Orange, and Stockton. These leaders, along with Lind Wanner, Director for Social Justice & Environmental Stewardship from the California Catholic Conference (the public policy arm of the California bishops), led a crucial panel discussion on the Catholic Church’s restorative justice mission in California.

Attendee Reflections:

“Attending the 2024 Reentry Conference was incredibly inspiring. As a survivor leader and Ed.D. student, it was empowering to see leaders provide services for those impacted by incarceration. Hearing survivors speak about their faith journeys was amazing. We must all contribute to creating a supportive environment for all.”
— Elizabeth Quiroz, MA, Excell Network Ambassador, Ed.D. Student in Christian Leadership, Author of Purified in The Flame, Co-Founder: Redemption House of The Bay Area

“This conference plays a vital role for those transitioning from jail or prison. San Francisco offers numerous resources, from education to trade services, to help formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into the community. We urge everyone to get involved in these efforts.”
— Deacon Fidel Carillo Jr., Director of Restorative Justice, Diocese of Stockton

Following images courtesy of Colleen Dooley.