JCOD Celebrates Launch of Incubation Academy Cohort 11

JCOD launched the 11th cohort of the JCOD Incubation Academy on January 28, welcoming 25 community-based organizations from across Los Angeles County.

The JCOD Incubation Academy develops grassroots community-based organizations that serve justice-impacted individuals and communities. Since the program launched in 2021, 249 community-based organizations have completed the JCOD Incubation Academy.

Participants of the program must complete a 12-week training series focused on nonprofit sustainability, financial management, LA County contracting, grant writing, partnership development and long-term organizational planning. Previous graduates received continued support, including technical assistance, peer advising and executive coaching to support organizational development and capacity building.

JCOD has invested more than $120 million in JCOD Incubation Academy graduates through grants and contracts, helping organizations strengthen programs, expand services and grow capacity in communities across LA County.

The JCOD Incubation Academy Resource Hub was also recently launched and is now live at IncubationAcademy.org. The site includes tools, templates, starter resources, a service directory highlighting JCOD Incubation Academy graduate organizations and a centralized list of funding and contract opportunities to help nonprofits build and grow in LA County. Future updates are planned to expand the hub for alumni, including training videos, additional resources and connections to past graduates.

Organizations interested in future cohorts can join the waiting list here:jcod.lacounty.gov/program/incubation-academy.

Rapid Diversion Program Launches at San Fernando Courthouse

JCOD launched the JCOD Rapid Diversion Program (RDP) at the San Fernando Courthouse on Dec. 4, 2025, expanding access to pretrial behavioral health diversion for individuals with mental health or substance use needs. With this launch, RDP now operates at eight courthouses Countywide.

RDP is authorized under California Penal Code Section 1001.36 and connects eligible participants to clinical treatment, case management and supportive services as an alternative to traditional prosecution when behavioral health needs are a significant factor in their case. At the San Fernando Courthouse, Project 180 provides services through a multidisciplinary team that delivers court-based behavioral health care and substance use disorder support.

Key justice partners supported the expansion of RDP through close collaboration including the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office and the Office of the Alternate Public Defender.

An independent RAND evaluation found strong early outcomes, including that 91% of participants who completed the program avoided having a new case filed after graduation. As of December 2025, more than 1,270 participants had graduated.

In addition to the San Fernando Courthouse, RDP operates at the following courthouses: Airport, Clara Shortridge Foltz, Compton, Lancaster, Long Beach, Pasadena and Van Nuys.

For more information, visit jcod.lacounty.gov.

Justice Connect Support Center Records 50,000 Service Calls

JCOD’s Justice Connect Support Center recorded a major milestone in January, with over 50,000 service calls since launching in October 2023. This milestone highlights the growing demand for accessible, centralized support for justice-impacted individuals and their families across Los Angeles County.

Justice Connect connects callers to housing assistance, behavioral health resources, court reminders and transportation at no cost.

Through Justice Connect, JCOD has coordinated over 60,000 transportation bookings, scheduled more than 6,500 court reminders and facilitated over 4,400 referrals to community-based service providers.

Justice Connect operates seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and offers multilingual support. Justice Connect can be reached at 1- 833 – LAC – JCOD or 1-833 – 522 – 5263. To learn more, visit justiceconnect.org.

Staff Spotlight

Eric Lee – IT Division Director

Eric Lee will mark his third anniversay with JCOD in May and brings 19 years of County service to the department. Prior to joining JCOD, he spent 10 years with the Auditor-Controller and three years each with the Agricultural Commissioner–Weights and Measures and the Department of Mental Health.

As JCOD’s IT Division Director, Eric leads the technology strategy and operations that support the department’s mission. He and his team help keep systems secure, reliable and user-friendly so staff can stay focused on delivering critical services in our communities. His responsibilities include overseeing IT support and operations, data and systems infrastructure, application development, cybersecurity, and driving modernization through strategic technology improvements.

Eric has helped build JCOD’s IT Division from the ground up. Reflecting on his decision to join the department, he shared: “JCOD’s mission immediately resonated with me. The department is focused on creating real, lasting change for individuals and communities who need support the most. I saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way—using technology to directly impact people’s lives and help create pathways to stability, care, and opportunity. While it was initially daunting to build the IT division from scratch, it has been incredibly rewarding to see how quickly the department has progressed and the difference our work is making.”

Outside of work, Eric is the proud father of a 1-year-old. He enjoys sports and traveling, especially using points and miles to explore new destinations, though those hobbies are currently on pause. “My first child has officially become my new ‘hobby,’” he joked, a sentiment many parents of young children can surely relate to.

Org Spotlight

Game Changer

Although the idea for Game Changer emerged in the aftermath of a tragedy in 2014, the organization was officially founded on Dec. 12, 2016. Game Changer engages community residents—including individuals on probation and currently incarcerated youth, to formally train traditional law enforcement and probation officers on behalf of the State of California. This innovative model is accredited by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) as well as the Standards and Training for Corrections (STC).

Through moderated focus groups, this data-driven training approach transforms perceptions and behaviors among both law enforcement officers and community participants. The program fosters mutual understanding, strengthens relationships, and contributes to reduced violence between the two groups.
“The killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice on November 22, 2014, by Officer Timothy Loehmann pushed me over the edge,” said Game Changer Founder and CEO Sean Sheppard. “I knew I had to do something to help mitigate the killing of unarmed Black Americans.”

According to Sean, the most rewarding part of his work is “working with young people, listening to their ideas, and constantly being in the presence of human beings whose energy matches the hope that burns inside them.”

A graduate of JCOD’s Incubation Academy, Game Changer has benefited from its partnership with JCOD by identifying and strengthening key operational areas. “Our partnership has reinvigorated and inspired me—especially as someone who has worked in the nonprofit sector since 2004—simply by being in the presence of other nonprofit leaders who are doing their part to improve our society,” Sean shared.

Outside of work, Sean enjoys hot yoga, kickboxing, horseback riding, watching the New York Knicks and New York Jets, traveling, attending stand-up comedy shows, taking cruises and helping those in need. To learn more about Game Changer, visit their website https://gamechanger1.org/ or follow them on Instagram at @theoriginalgamechanger.