Dieudonné Brou, now 37, recalls being pepper-sprayed at juvenile facilities multiple times as a child, leading to lasting trauma. Advocacy efforts at a town hall, organized by youth from Urban Peace Movement, call for the removal of pepper spray from juvenile hall and urge the Alameda County Probation Department to adopt restorative justice practices. Brou highlights the inappropriateness of using military-grade spray on young people, challenging the perception of youth as lesser beings, and advocating for accountability and healing approaches to youth incarceration.
The trauma from both incidents, Brou said, has stayed with him to this day.
When we talk about military-grade pepper spray, we're talking about spray that's used on animals.
Our young people aren't animals.
They called on county leaders to support alternatives to youth incarceration that prioritize restorative justice, healing, and accountability.
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