Child welfare systems do not identify parents who are military Veterans, leaving Veterans without connection to Veteran-specific resources and wraparound support while they and their children may experience prolonged separation. Veterans also navigate Family Court, Dependency Court, child welfare, domestic violence, law enforcement, and other systems operating in silos. These failures can cause family separation, disrupted parent-child relationships, homelessness, domestic violence, suicide, homicide, and devastating outcomes. Veterans Justice Support Gap The Department of Veterans Affairs operates Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) to identify Veterans in the criminal justice system and connect them to VA services. Veterans Treatment Courts demonstrate this coordinated approach through courts, VJO specialists, treatment providers, peer mentors, defense counsel, and other partners. Yet Veteran parents in Family Court, Dependency Court, and child welfare do not have an equivalent nationwide VA structure providing coordinated identification, intervention, and connection to Veteran-specific resources and wraparound support. Veterans and their children should not have to wait until a crime is committed or a family reaches a crisis point for coordinated support. Assistance should begin when a Veteran parent enters Family Court, Dependency Court, or child welfare—before prolonged parent-child separation, homelessness, domestic violence, homicide, suicide, or criminal justice involvement. Source: https://department.va.gov/homeless/veterans-justice-programs/veterans-justice-outreach/ Veterans with Disabilities in Family Court California enacted protections concerning Veterans’ disability compensation effective in 2026, but implementation remains incomplete because applicable Judicial Council family-law forms have not yet been updated. Veterans may therefore continue to have their disability compensation impacted while the law and forms remain out of alignment. The problem is nationwide. Veterans with disabilities should not be financially destabilized in Family Court because they receive disability compensation resulting from military service. Veterans need protections that work in practice regardless of the state in which they live. In California, Black children represent approximately 5% of the child population but 21% of children in foster care. Black and Native American children are represented in foster care at about four times their population rate in California. Source: https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4897 In Washington, D.C., Black and African American children represented about 90% of the foster care population as of September 2024. Source: https://cfsa.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/cfsa/publication/attachments/FY26%20Annual%20Progress%20and%20Services%20Report%20%28APSR%29.pdf In 2023, 6,398 Veterans died by suicide—17.5 every day. VA found relationship problems in 31.9% of reviewed Veteran suicide cases from 2021 through 2023. In January 2025, 32,495 Veterans were experiencing homelessness nationwide, including 13,518 who were unsheltered. Source: https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/MENTALHEALTH/docs/data-sheets/2025/2025_National_Veteran_Suicide_Prevention_Annual_Report_PART_1_FINAL.pdf https://department.va.gov/homeless/point-in-time-pit-count/ VA reports that one-third of women Veterans experience intimate partner violence during their lifetime, compared with less than one-quarter of civilian women. Those who experience it are three times more likely to experience housing instability or homelessness. Source: https://www.womenshealth.va.gov/WOMENSHEALTH/topics/intimate-partner-violence.asp The connection between family crisis, domestic violence, homicide, and suicide is not new. Department of the Army epidemiologists examined homicide-suicides involving soldiers and their families at Fort Bragg and identified marital discord as a contributing circumstance. Documented military cases also identify separation, relationship problems, and domestic violence as circumstances associated with suicide and homicide-suicide. Suicide review teams focus on Veteran suicide deaths but do not fully address homicide-suicides in which family members are killed before the Veteran dies by suicide. Reviews must examine what occurred before the deaths, including domestic violence, separation, Family Court, Dependency Court, child welfare, law enforcement, health care, and other government involvement. Women, including women Veterans, must be central to this work. On July 7, 2026, Los Angeles County Supervisors Hilda L. Solis and Lindsey P. Horvath introduced “Reinforcing Targeted Domestic Violence Prevention Efforts,” highlighting children and mothers killed by fathers/spouses and a rise in cases involving individuals killing intimate partners and family members before dying by suicide. LA County Board of Supervisors — July 7, 2026 Motion:  https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/218606.pdf The Reimagining Child Safety Group began warning Los Angeles County in 2020 about systemic failures affecting women, children, Veterans, and families, including domestic violence, family separation, child safety, and preventable deaths. The same concerns remain. Through the advocacy of U.S. Army Veteran Latia Suttle concerning Veterans in Family Court, Children’s Court, and child welfare, the Los Angeles County Veterans Advisory Commission voted in October 2019 to create an Ad Hoc Committee. The Committee later identified the need for a coordinated Veteran support pathway, early identification, and connections to resources, peer support, and wraparound support. LA County Veterans Advisory Commission — October 9, 2019 Minutes:  https://mva.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/MINUTES-for-October-09-2019.pdf Child welfare, Family Court, Dependency Court, domestic violence, prolonged parent-child separation, Veteran homelessness, suicide, homicide, and homicide-suicide intersect. These systems must stop operating in silos. We need legislation now. Once reforms become law, data must be collected and reported to track implementation, outcomes, disparities, and accountability. This is a nationwide problem. California needs to lead the way by identifying parents who are military Veterans, connecting them to Veteran-specific resources and wraparound support, closing systemic gaps, strengthening accountability, and establishing reforms that can serve as a model for the nation.

It is past time to make more efficient use of Pennsylvania’s supervision resources by setting up low-risk parolees for continued success, not failure. Please support common-sense parole reform by signing on to this proposal. Only organizations may sign on... 

This young man has joined the likes of Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, and Sonya Massey. This young man has been deceased for 13 days, and the family is suffering with the lack of knowledge of what happened to their son.  They don't know who to talk to or who to trust. The City of Flint is on high alert of the Michigan State police feeling they can be unfairly targeted. There is no proof of if these child murderous officers are really laid off because we don't know how they look or their true identity. These officers are being protected while the family and community are feeling left unprotected. Their reputation/character is being upheld while Rayvon Shahid reputation/character is being questioned. By all accounts this child was shot and killed while running away.  This is causing quite a stir in the city, and all of this could be settled with a release of the bodycams and names of the officers involved. In addition to signing this petition please also flood the Attorney General's office with phone calls, letters and emails with our demands daily! Department of Attorney General Dana Nessel Attorney General Mailing Address Lansing Office: G. Mennen Williams Building 525 W. Ottawa Street P.O. Box 30212 Lansing, MI 48909 Detroit Office: Cadillac Place, 10th Floor 3030 W. Grand Boulevard, Suite 10-200 Detroit, MI 48202 Phone: 313-456-0240 Fax: 313-456-0243 Contact Information Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET Phone: 517-335-7622 Fax: 517-335-7644 Email: [email protected] https://www.michigan.gov/ag/ag-contact-directory

Too many black men are being railroaded in the Judicial System because of corrupt law enforcement and certain racist judges. DISBARMENT OF JUDGE DEBRA BLACKWELL IMMORAL UNETHICAL RULINGS...JUSTICE FOR CHRIS RANDALL Started April 5, 2023 On February 23rd, 2023, I along with my family witnessed Judge Debra Blackwell handout a Life sentence plus 20 plus 5 years to my son, Christopher Isaac Randall. My son was charged with Murder despite it being justifiable Self-defense. My son's ex girlfriend LaRhonda Ware called my son to meet her at her mother's home but already had a gentleman waiting in the dark for my son. The victim reached for his gun that was fully loaded with a bullet in the chamber and my son defended himself by shooting the victim before he had a chance to shoot and kill him. The gun was put back in the deceased's waistband before law enforcement and paramedics arrived. The Judge Debra Blackwell did not allow my son's paid Attorney to argue Self-defense at all. During the trial, it was discovered that the Judge Debra Blackwell, the Prosecutor Shameca Collins and State Attorney, Busby ALL were responsible for jury selection...that were ALL picked just 3-4 hours on the actual day of the trial. Juror#15 was closely related to the deceased and the Defendant. Judge Debra Blackwell verbally stated that it did not matter, in regards to the kinship between the juror and the deceased. My son stayed incarcerated for nearly 4 years at Adams County Sheriff office where the Sheriff Travis Patten, former Detective Stanley Searcy---now the Jail Administrator along with DA Shameca Collins collaborated a plot to railroad my son thru the Judicial System. The State used a Medical Examiner by the name of Mark LeVaughn whose under investigation and had been placed on Administrative leave from Jackson crime lab to testify from an unknown location via video screen in the courtroom. There is speculation that the DA mailed/faxed evidence they gathered to the Medical examiner to align and collaborate the little so called evidence they claim to have had so LeVaughn could know what to say during Q & A during the trial. On March 29th, my son appeared for a hearing for a motion to have a new trial based on the fact that one of the Jurors was related to the deceased. Judge Debra Blackwell stated it did not matter and the sentencing was and still is being upheld. This particular judge has railroaded so many young black men while allowing rapists of underage kids to go free; all because of certain families dumping money into her PRE-ELECTION campaign. I am asking that anyone who has been railroaded by Judge Debra Blackwell, Sheriff Travis Patten, DA Shameca Collins to please sign this petition while I continue to make efforts to exonerate my son of all charges; as he only acted in self-defense. This was a retaliatory act on behalf of the Judicial system for my son NOT taking a PLEA BARGAIN; as well as his mother, Shaunta Randall writing higher-ups about all the wrong and malfeasance of judicial practices being exercised on all levels towards my son before his trial even began. I, Shaunta Randall faced the same scrutiny and injustice when his 16 year old brother, Jessie Elbert Taylor Jr. was murdered in 2014. My son, Christopher Isaac Randall, had several court appearances with an appointed attorney before his new attorney was hired. The old attorney which was the State's Public Defender did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to gather evidence supporting my son's justifiable confession of self defense. My son has never been a trouble maker nor has any kind of criminal history. The Sheriff even setup a plot by using a jailer : also the mule for bringing Contraband into the County jail__ to add another charge to my son in November of 2022; 3 months before his actual trial in February of 2023. The Jurors were selected the exact SAME day the trial began on 02/21/23; might I add. I will not stop until all involved in this Judicial Performance of Misconduct and Malice be removed from their positions.

African American/Black women and girls have historically endured all manner of physical and psychological violence. The emotional, mental, psychological violence as well as physical violence aimed at African American/Black women and girls is traumatic and denies African American/Black women and girls their humanity. Discrimination in education, discrimination in the workplace, healthcare, and beyond has essentially created an American society that is hostile for African American/Black women and girls. The right to live free of harm and the failure of a systemic approach to create equitable policies with equitable outcomes for African American/Black women and girls is unacceptable. Systemic harm of any woman and girl compromises the safety of all women and girls. Stand for the freedom, liberation, and protection of African American/Black women and girls. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/black-americans-are-getting-support-for-reparations-from-other-multiracial-groups/ar-AA1cHmnm?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=223ff2abf7f9433ca3c9718dd2d57cfd&ei=13.

Our youth are up next. There is no if, ands, or buts about it. And if they are to be the future, we have to ensure their present which means society's views of them have to change and the only way that happens is if we 1) traumatizing them, 2) stop automatically criminalizing them, 3) traumatizing them, again 4) getting them so call help for the trauma that we've caused 5) getting them so-called help from people who don't look like them and have no sense of their culture at all  They need to know that they are not seen as criminals or someone that we deem will do wrong. We all have bad days, but law enforcement shouldn't be the ones stepping in with weapons when we have teachers who can step in with love. As of now, 99% of the children incarcerated at the Youth Study Center are Black, and historically, since 2022, it has been 100%.  Police in our schools started during the Civil Rights era as a disguise to protect black children as a guise really to instill fear in them. Making schools, property safe is not the priority, or it shouldn't be. Making children feel safe should be. Schools have always been a place of refuge for young people. Teaching them how to keep each other safe and why is how community is maintained, not protecting the building and vilifying children. Especially Black children and making their consequences be as severe as prison.  Terminology like "informed trauma" is used often and very loosely to describe "urban" or Black children/students by so-called professionals surveying and/or observing them in order to claim the "understand" what they are experiencing and are prepared to "fix" them. Them being US. Us being WE. We being ME.  I am a Black mama proudly born in the 7th ward and raised in the upper 9th ward of New Orleans to a 2-parent household on most days. Educated at the historic William Frantz Elementary School, St. Mary of the Angels, McDonogh #35, Francis T. Nicholls, Dillard University, and Southern University At New Orleans. I AM NEW ORLEANS! NOT NOLA!  I have had to physically fight the police on my front lawn at the age of 15 for coming to my home which was a traumatizing experience while having police in my family. I have spoken out in protest against the police for years and celebrated and honored good police--those who did go against the grain and call out bad police. I lived in the city during a time when we had 2 police unions-- a Black one and a white one. What does that tell you??? REFORM DOES NOT WORK! You are killing us and you are using us to do it. Law enforcement in the schools has never been placed for our protection. The impact of criminalization on black youth causes a psychological effect. It causes higher rates of stress, depression, substance abuse, becoming hyper-vigilant, distrust of police, hyper-arousal, and even numbness. Children who live in heavy police areas, start to affect how much sleep they receive causing sleep deprivation and low sleep quality, this may cause them to come to school, not at their highest potential. We have to treat our children like children. Creating relationships to rebuild their sense of self. Why not give love a try? Why not allow them to know who they are and whose they are first? What's the harm in that? Why are white people so threatened by Black people knowing who they are? Why is it that they feel a need to be prepared to always contain a beast but not to open their arms to show love first?

It would at least slow the unconstitutional and unethical methods used by San Diego's law enforcement to secure desired outcomes as well as the constant malicious prosecutions by the District Attorneys who rely on the tactics of these officers.

By the constitution we as Americans have certain rights and when they're violated we have to come together and right the injustices.

Educational, green spaces like The Strawberry Mansion-Blaine Elementary Environmental Center provide food, gathering, education, and social advocacy support community healing and encourage youth engagement. The environmental provides vital science, math, technology, art, and engineering education through an agricultural lens. Blaine students deserve access to environmental spaces that enhance their everyday learning and provide new avenues for study.

HBCUs across the United States are known to have a warm and welcoming culture. The campus environment is supportive and provides a voice and platform to allow students to grow into leaders in their fields. Cynthia chose to weaponize the campus police in an environment that would otherwise be insulated from the traumas that Black Americans experience routinely. This space needs to be protected and her actions cannot go unchecked.

Segregation is happening all over again in schools across America. Segregation perpetuates the School -to-Prison-Pipeline and we must stop it in its tracks! The New Orleans Four, at 6-years old served their little black girl magic and showed the world that children can lead the way. These little emissaries were the epitome of what it means to have the audacity of hope. They broke barriers and opened hearts in 1960 and with this nationally recognized holiday they can continue to remind America and the World that we can ALL live, learn and work TOGETHER. In her speech during the New Orleans Four Day 60th Anniversary ceremony in New Orleans, Alana Odoms (Executive Director ACLU-Louisiana) stated "Since its inception, black girls and black women have shouldered the immense responsibility of perfecting our Democracy. The New Orleans Four were emissaries of justice and freedom, turning the tide of hate in this nation and calling us towards the liberties enshrined in the United States Constitution." Like Dr. Opal Lee, I believe that this national holiday can be a unifier and an inspiration to children and adults around the world. I believe it can be the bridge that brings people together to talk about the hard issues facing our country. The New Orleans Four were the light during a dark time in our country's history and their brave acts will always be a beacon of hope to show young people that they have a voice, they have a say and the wherewithal to create the CHANGE they want to see. Let them be the everlasting reminder of Freedom, Equality & Justice. Learn More: To watch the docuseries teaser and learn more about the project go to www.NewOrleansFourLegacy.com

Violence can happen anywhere, anytime. We cannot wait for government or policy makers to do anything about this. We have to personally get involved in our own capacity. Peace is our human nature. Love is our nature. Only when we find peace within, can we help spread it around. We can do it together!