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Dear friends,
Thanks to your support, we successfully launched 34 CDF Freedom Schools in cities all across California and in Seattle, Washington and served over 2,000 young people. The CDF Freedom Schools program provides summer and after-school reading enrichment for children while focusing on literacy and curbing summer learning loss. It is a critical component of our efforts to close the achievement gap that persists across California.
2015 has been an incredibly exciting and productive year – and this past month has been no exception. We persuaded the members of the California State Senate to curtail the use of solitary confinement in juvenile justice facilities by passing SB 124 (Leno); we made sure our Beat the Odds recipients were accepted into some of the best colleges in the country; and, just last month we played a critical part in ensuring that Health for All children became a reality.
However, despite these huge gains, we still have a long way to go. The California State Assembly will soon consider whether to curtail the use of solitary confinement and send the bill to Governor Jerry Brown. Despite the fact that the United Nations considers solitary confinement of young people torture we are fighting to ensure that the State Assembly passes this important bill. I urge you to call your state representative and express support for SB 124 today!
Together,
Alex M. Johnson
Executive Director
Children's Defense Fund - California
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