Dinner Meeting March 5, 2024
Our next meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.
Our speaker will be Fresno County Juvenile Justice Commission Chair, Marilyn Watts.
NWPC’s own Marilyn Watts will share with us the important and amazing work being done by a variety of partners who serve the juvenile justice needs and responsibilities of our community. She will explain the work being done by the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Commission, a state mandated, court appointed citizen’s commission that serves “to be a public conscience in the interest of justice for children and youth.” Their primary work focuses on the broad inquiry into the administration of juvenile justice, including the operations of our juvenile court, social and mental health services to youth, the safety and welfare of youth in group homes, and the safety and well-being of incarcerated youth as delineated by law.
Marilyn will be contrasting 1970s-80s attitudes about juvenile justice and the treatment of girls in the justice system with today’s emphasis on Restorative Justice and reducing incarceration. She will talk about how changing laws impact the juvenile justice system and create challenges and opportunities for the Fresno County Probation Department.
Things we may not know about Marilyn:
She was born and raised in Texas and New Mexico and her activism started there as she observed many injustices. She is a long time NWPC member, first joining in the late 1970s and often marched for women’s issues. She moved to Fresno after college and began her career as a Psychologist with the Fresno County Probation Department. She researched the effectiveness of programs for adults and minors and helped start the first treatment program for girls incarcerated in the Juvenile Hall.
She left Probation in 1987 and with Marsha Conant ran a successful small printing company for 25 years. After her retirement in 2006, she stayed active and productive in the community. Marilyn served for two years on the Grand Jury, including a stint as Foreperson; worked the 2010 Census; and for the past thirteen years she has given back to Fresno County Probation by serving on the Juvenile Justice Commission, including her current service as Chair.
