Our Mission

The Center's Vision, Mission, Objective, and Values are embedded in the statement:

“The Spirit Life Center is a gathering of people of many faiths, working cooperatively to teach and model spiritual principles that will dramatically transform young peoples' lives. Our goal is to reduce recidivism among youth who have entered the juvenile justice system. We use our faith and resources to stage direct and indirect interventions, to interrupt cycles of behavior among young people that are self-defeating. We do all in love, in faith, in the spirit of cooperation and inclusion, and with eternal optimism concerning the future of our young peoples' lives.”

Our Services

The Spirit Life Center @ JPD serves the entire population at the San Francisco Juvenile Hall and at Log Cabin Ranch School in La Honda, California—currently about 100 youth per day. Spirit Life staff and volunteers insure that every youth at Juvenile Hall or Log Cabin Ranch has access to religious services, spiritual counsel and education, and faith-based enrichment in the tradition of her or his choice. The Center provides youth, families and stakeholders in San Francisco's juvenile justice system with access to spiritual care and to faith-based human and social services when youth are returned to their communities. Our programs and services are available to over 2,000 youth and their families involved in the juvenile justice system in San Francisco

Our History

Many of its recommendations for reform of the juvenile justice system in the original San Francisco Juvenile Justice Action Plan (1996) speak directly to the work of religious organizations in the lives of communities and individuals. The Action Plan identified “a multiplicity of personal, family and community risk factors” implicated in the downward spiral of chronic juvenile violence and crime. The Plan's proposed “Circle of Care” both began and ended by maximizing the strengths of communities. It proposed to “interrupt the cycle of chronic crime by providing major life-altering interventions at continuous points [and] intensive involvements at critical periods in the youths' lives.” A holistic approach such as that recommended by the Action Plan includes, by definition and necessity, participation by religious institutions.

Shortly before publication of the Action Plan, the San Francisco Interfaith Council, with impetus from the outgoing chair of the Juvenile Probation Commission, solicited support for spiritual assistance to at-risk youth at Juvenile Hall. Their proposal cited the Commission's commitment to reform, and the need to provide “holistic responses to young people who have come into conflict with the law.” It indicated that “children who are brought to the Youth Guidance Center frequently call out for some type of spiritual assistance and connection to services in their community—either at the time of confinement or upon their release. Of utmost importance,” the proposal continued, “young people need an adult they can turn to, 24-hours of every day, whom they can trust as a friend, and from whom they can receive support and advice, without the fear of a punitive institutional response.”

The envisioned chaplaincy would protect and support youths' First Amendment rights to freedom of religion yet simultaneously insure the appropriate separation of church and state. It would facilitate exposures to diversities in cultural and religious expression, and incorporate spiritual development into the overall enrichment plan for Juvenile Hall detainees. In addition, the Chaplain would convene a network of churches, congregations, clergy and laypeople to provide religious aftercare and a continuing pastoral connection for youth released from Juvenile Hall and returned to their communities. The first coordinated spiritual development division at the Juvenile Probation Department was inaugurated in 1998, with the engagement of Rev. Toni Dunbar, M. Div. Rev. Dunbar is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ and a graduate of Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. She brought sixteen years' experience in urban ministry, faith- and community-based human services, and non-profit program development to her role as inaugural chaplain

Our Staff

Rev. Toni Dunbar, M. Div., Chaplain and Director

Min. Tracy L. R. Abernathy, Associate Chaplain, Aftercare & Training Coordinator

Sis. Deatta Parham, Office Manager

Imam Abu Al-Amin, Muslim Chaplain

Rev. Ishmael Burch, Log Cabin Ranch Chaplain

Lionel Chan, Ph.D., Meditation Leader & Buddhist Chaplain

Jose Peñate, Spanish-Language Chaplain

Walter Turner, Behavior Management Unit Chaplain

Our Sponsors

The Spirit Life Center is sponsored by The Center for Social Ministry, Inc., Berkeley, CA (FIN 94-3258082) and The Ark of Refuge, Inc., San Francisco, CA (FIN 94-3157040), in cooperation with the San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department.

The Reverend Toni Dunbar is a 35-year resident of the Bay Area , with over twenty years experience in urban ministry, church-based community services and non-profit program development . She is the first Chaplain in the history of the San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department. Toni earned her Master of Divinity degree at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, and is an Associate Pastor of City of Refuge United Church of Christ in San Francisco. At the San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department, Toni's zest for life and passion for youth motivates her to live out her favorite quotation by Alice Walker: “Anything we love can be saved.”

 

Min. Tracey L.R. Abernathy is a licensed minister, with a Bachelor's degree in Humanities from New College of California and a Professional Certificate in Human Resources and Training from the UC Berke­ley Extension. Min. Abernathy has a twenty-year portfolio in faith- and community-based services emphasizing ministry and program development for high-risk youth, consultation with non-profit and faith-based organizations, strategic planning, training and training coordination for service providers, event coordination, and theater production and promotion. Tracey describes herself as “ a country girl, born and raised in Bakersfield, California.” Her mother gave her the gifts of love and laughter, and raised her under two enduring principles: strong faith in God, and strong opposition to injustice and oppression. Tracey's motto is, “ To save a youth, you must engage a youth!”