www.montereycountynow.com OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 There is a link between childhood trauma and negative health outcomes that was established by researchers with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in 1998. They crafted a questionnaire called the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study as a part of this research, which tallies up experiences of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to provide individuals with a score. The higher the score, they found, the higher the risk for things like heart disease, incarceration and premature death. That study is still widely used by public health and policymakers today. “It’s a very simplistic thing,” says Monterey County District Attorney Jeanine Pacioni, “but they gave those tests to people who were incarcerated, and almost without exception, inmates scored a 7 or higher for adverse childhood experiences.” But there are ways to disrupt this trajectory. Since 2018, Pacioni has been working to create resource centers in Monterey County to break the cycle of generational violence. In 2024, she opened the Family Justice Center in King City to serve residents of South County, but has since struggled to find a location for a similar resource center in Salinas, where most of the DA’s cases are. Now, Pacioni is beginning talks with County of Monterey officials to transform Monterey County’s original juvenile detention home, located near Natividad Medical Center and a bus line, into another family justice center. In 2024, Pacioni launched a 501(c) (3), Holding on to Hope, which will fundraise for the costs of construction. Unlike the FJC in King City, which is led by the DA’s office, the Salinas location will be nonprofit-led. “We’re throwing all kinds of resources trying to rehabilitate people,” Pacioni says. “But what if we were able to actually address the trauma earlier, so we didn’t have these people going into custody? That’s what we’re targeting. This is not rehabilitation, this is prevention with a big P.” Last year, the DA served 2,045 victims, not including the 1,000 served by the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center and 400 by the YWCA. Compounding this, the number of juvenile murder and attempted murder offenses increased by 186 percent from 2023 to 2024, rising from seven to 20 offenders. Holding on to Hope is currently working with a volunteer architect to draft plans for renovating the building while they enter negotiations with the County, hoping to lease the property for a marginal amount. Over time the building has fallen into disrepair; there is no running water in the bathrooms and asbestos and hazardous materials have accumulated. Fear, income, lack of transportation and emotional and psychological barriers all create walls that make it difficult for crime victims to escape dangerous situations, Pacioni says. Add to that navigating a complex web of services, and people can find themselves driving hundreds of miles. “What’s going to happen? They’re going to give up,” Pacioni says. Centralized services, she hopes, can change that. Rebirth, Renew The District Attorney’s Office makes moves for a new resource center in Salinas. By Katie Rodriguez The District Attorney’s Office has its eyes set on Monterey County’s original juvenile hall for a new family resource center, located at 1352 Natividad Road in Salinas. NEWS “This is not rehabilitation, this is prevention with a big P.” KATIE RODRIGUEZ
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==