For youth in underserved San Diego neighborhoods, Francisco Carbajal is a turnaround specialist. He has a gift for diverting at-risk students away from the juvenile justice system and toward a path to educational achievement and community leadership.

Francisco manages the Restorative Community Conferencing (RCC) Program at the National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) as part of the organization’s celebrated “Avoiding the Pipeline to Prison” Initiative. With strong support from regional law enforcement and education leaders, the “Pipeline” program has kept many local youth in school and out of prison, and it has helped San Diego neighborhoods and families become stronger.

Working out of NCRC’s City Heights field office and its Center for Community Cohesion in South East San Diego, Francisco has helped position NCRC as a pioneer in the field of restorative justice. He begins the RCC process by bringing together the key players: the responsible youth who have caused harm and their families, the people who have been harmed and their supporters, and community members who serve as facilitators and mentors.

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