JCOD Launches New SECTOR Partnership Dirtbags Academy

 

JCOD recently launched a new partnership with Dirtbags Academy through the JCOD Skills + Experience for the Careers of Tomorrow (SECTOR) program, expanding skilled trades training opportunities for justice-involved individuals. Dirtbags Academy, based in Long Beach, offers a 12-week pre-apprenticeship program designed to equip participants with hands-on experience and skills that can lead to long-term career pathways.

The first cohort includes 19 participants, providing them with hands-on instruction in motorcycle maintenance and repair, fabrication and welding, detailing and coating, print and design, and the manufacturing of specialized parts. In addition to technical instruction, participants take part in daily morning circles that help foster accountability, peer support and community.

Dirtbags Academy also partners with labor unions, refineries, motorcycle parts manufacturers and aluminum manufacturers to help connect participants to employment opportunities in the skilled trades.

Graduates also receive a full year of continued support, including technical assistance and peer advising, along with six months of executive coaching to support each organization’s growth and development.

JCOD Incubation Academy graduates have received more than $120 million through grants and contract opportunities, supporting organizations that often face challenges securing public funding. Graduates have expanded housing programs, launched mental health services, deepened service networks and increased capacity across LA County.

On May 13, the JCOD Incubation Academy welcomed 25 organizations from across all five supervisorial districts into Cohort 12 during a launch event at Dockweiler Beach.

The launch event gave participants an opportunity to meet one another, learn more about the program and begin building connections that will support them throughout their 12-week journey. The day included a program overview, remarks from JCOD Director Judge Songhai Armstead (Ret.), group discussions and a review of the academy curriculum.

Cohort 12 participants will receive training in sustainability, nonprofit management, LA County contracts, grant writing, financial management and ways to build relationships with established providers. After graduation, each organization will become eligible for capacity-building grants of up to $40,000.

To learn more, visit the new JCOD Incubation Academy resource hub at jcodincubationacademy.com for program information, resources and helpful tools.

Interested in future enrollment opportunities? Join our interest list to receive alerts and updates when open enrollment periods become available. Sign Up Here

LA Free the Vote – Know Your Rights as a Justice-Impacted Individual

The California Primary Election is coming up on June 2, 2026, and voting is already underway across Los Angeles County. Vote by Mail ballots have been sent to registered voters, and early in-person voting has begun — giving voters the opportunity to make their voices heard on important races, including California Governor, U.S. House of Representatives, and other key local and statewide offices.

Through JCOD’s LA Free the Vote initiative, we want justice-impacted individuals to know one important message: your voice matters, and in most cases, you still have the right to vote.

Many people are unaware that California voting rights laws are broader than they think. In California:

• On probation? You can vote.
• On parole? You can vote.
• In county jail? You can vote.
• Arrested but not serving a prison sentence? You can vote.

Your right to vote is only restricted if you are currently serving a state or federal prison term for a felony conviction. Once your prison term is completed, your voting rights are automatically restored.

Important Election Deadlines:

• Now – June 2, 2026: Californians can still register and vote through Same Day Voter Registration, also known as Conditional Voter Registration.

If you missed the registration deadline, you can still register and cast your ballot at your county elections office, or vote center through Election Day.

JCOD’s LA Free the Vote initiative was created to help justice-impacted individuals understand their voting rights, access trusted election information, and participate in the democratic process.

For more information, voter resources, and helpful links, visit the LA Free the Vote page.

Staff Spotlight

Ashford Ball – Justice Program Manager

Brand new to the LA County workforce, Ashford Ball is approaching his one-year anniversary with JCOD this June. As a Justice Programs Manager/Management Analyst, he plays a key role in supporting JCOD Care Management (JCM), partnering closely with community-based organizations to help ensure compliance, strengthen service delivery and support positive outcomes for JCOD clients.

Ashford also oversees audits, data reviews and assessments within JCOD’s CMS system to ensure accurate documentation, accountability and reporting of services provided by community health workers across partner organizations. His work helps improve operational effectiveness while advancing JCOD’s mission of serving communities with care and intention.

Ashford’s path to JCOD has long been rooted in service and creating opportunities for others. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification in Process Improvement from California State University, Fullerton, and a Master of Public Administration from the University of La Verne. During his academic journey, he became deeply involved in leadership and advocacy work. He served as President of the Black Student Union and holding several leadership roles with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., including vice president, step master, and education adviser. His work organizing community advocacy efforts centered on equity and social justice further strengthened his commitment to public service.

“What drew me to JCOD was the opportunity to support individuals seeking stability, healing, and a second chance,” Ashford shared. “I believe in the importance of second chances, community support, and helping people become the best version of themselves.”

Although his time with JCOD and LA County has been brief, Ashford has already found meaningful moments that reaffirm his work. One standout experience was attending the Together We Thrive Summit & Festival.

“One of my most fulfilling experiences at JCOD was attending Together We Thrive,” he said. “Seeing the scale of community support behind the work we do and the impact JCOD continues to make across Los Angeles County was inspiring. It reinforced how meaningful this work is and reminded me that the services we provide truly make a difference in people’s lives.”

Originally from the Fontana and the Rancho Cucamonga area, Ashford continues to stay involved in service outside of work. He serves in youth ministry at Oasis Church Los Angeles and volunteers with The Prison Education Project, supporting incarcerated adults, youth and parolees.

In his free time, Ashford enjoys working out at Iconix Fitness, listening to music and bringing people together through community and relationship-building.

Org Spotlight

Lovies Dogz Foundation

Most people understand the joy and companionship dogs bring into our lives. But for one couple, a life-changing experience revealed something even deeper: the transformative impact service dogs can have for people facing serious challenges.

Six years ago, a devastating car accident changed everything for Brad and Lovie Arrowood. During Lovie’s recovery, Brad trained a service dog to help support her mobility and day-to-day needs. That experience opened their eyes to the barriers many people face in accessing highly trained service animals.

“After my wife Lovie and I were in a major car accident six years ago, I trained a service dog for her to help with mobility,” said Brad Arrowood, Director of Operations and Programs and Lead Service Dog Instructor at Lovies Dogz Foundation. “Once she healed, she realized that if I hadn’t been her husband, she may not have been able to afford a service dog—or wait six years on an organization’s waiting list. She wanted to create a way to train and provide service dogs for people who otherwise couldn’t access them.”

That vision led to the founding of Lovies Dogz Foundation in October 2023, a mission-driven organization creating second chances for both people and animals. Lovies Dogz trains service dogs for people with disabilities while also creating career pathways for formerly incarcerated individuals, providing work experience opportunities, supporting intervention programs for at-risk youth, rescuing dogs and building a sustainable social enterprise that fuels these efforts.

Through partnerships with the California Department of Rehabilitation and JVS WorkSource, Lovies Dogz Foundation offers returning citizens a 300-hour work experience program designed to provide flexibility and hands-on training. Brad proudly shared that not one participant in the program has returned to prison.

Among the many lives touched by Lovies Dogz Foundation, one story stands out. The organization once stepped in to provide free boarding and training for the dog of a young woman who had aged out of the foster care system. Facing instability, she risked losing her beloved dog to a shelter. Lovies Dogz Foundation cared for the dog until she was back on her feet.

“We reunited them once she was stable,” Brad recalled. “She was crying and smiling at the same time. She couldn’t believe we had done all of this for her.”

As a graduate of JCOD’s Incubation Academy, Brad credits the program with helping strengthen the organization’s foundation.

“JCOD is teaching us how to do things the right way so we can make these programs successful and sustainable,” Brad said. “It educated us on a lot of things we didn’t know that could have otherwise led to failure.”

Today, Lovies Dogz Foundation continues proving that second chances can change lives, whether they come on two legs or four.

To learn more about Lovies Dogz click here.