RISE for Youth

RISE for Youth RISE for Youth is a campaign in support of community alternatives to youth incarceration in Virginia. https://tinyurl.com/yym6bmob We can do better.

Virginia’s use of large juvenile prisons places the safety and security of our communities and our young people at risk, but we have the opportunity to put youth back on track- not just behind bars. Now is the time for real and lasting reforms that will rehabilitate youth, secure communities, and strengthen the Commonwealth’s economy. Youth prisons don’t make our communities safer, they are ineffe

ctive, and they are a waste of Commonwealth money. We have a tremendous opportunity to change our approach to juvenile incarceration and improve our state in the process. As the youth prison population continues to drop, local alternatives are operating at 54% capacity. We have an extraordinary chance to ensure that our neighborhoods are safer, families stay united and supported, and young people are put back on a path to leading law-abiding, healthy lives. Virginia needs a juvenile justice system where young people are held accountable for their actions while still given the opportunity to turn their lives around and make valuable contributions to our state. We need a system that keeps young people in the communities that can support them, surrounded by the families that love them, and where they have a real shot at rehabilitation. Bottom line: large juvenile prisons are not working for Virginia and should be closed. By closing Virginia’s juvenile prisons and reinvesting the savings from their closure into proven, common sense, community-based alternatives , such as probation and small secure facilities, we can improve the lives of children as well as the safety of our citizens.

05/17/2026

Our 6th Annual Youth Development Academy is coming up fast! Are you 18-24 and looking to make a change?! Lock in to secure your spot! Link to application in our bio!

04/15/2026

Another one for the young people. We advocated. We organized. We pushed for change and now it’s law. This bill creates a second chance, allowing cases to be referred back for informal resolution before adjudication, opening the door for dismissal and expungement instead of lifelong consequences. Because accountability shouldn’t mean permanent harm and growth should always be possible.

04/14/2026

A Historic Win For Virginia’s Children. SB18: Signed into law. This sets the minimum age of 11 for a child to be charged with a delinquent act. Progress of this magnitude is never the work of one voice. It belongs to the youth leaders who courageously shared their stories, the advocates who stood firm year after year, the partners who built consensus, and the legislators who ultimately carried this reform forward.

04/01/2026

HB438 increases access to diversion for children in Virginia. Thank you for championing this legislation! Now waiting for Gov Spanberger to sign it into law.

03/19/2026

As the General Assembly comes to an end we will keep you updated on our bills that have passed and are waiting governors signature.

03/18/2026

Check out YDA2026 If you’re 18-24 and want to jump start your future! The application is open and we made room for YOU! Application link is in our bio, see you this summer!

03/10/2026

This bill passed both the House and Senate in 2025. However the PREVIOUS Governor of Virginia did kill the bill.

03/09/2026

RISE4youth…….2026 Legislation.

What you did this weekend matters!!!! You stood in the halls of power and spoke truth with courage, and because of you, ...
01/19/2026

What you did this weekend matters!!!! You stood in the halls of power and spoke truth with courage, and because of you, history did not just happen -it listened. Like every movement that has ever bent this nation towards justice, it is young people like you who prove that change is not waiting for tomorrow, it is alive, and it is walking among us today.

01/19/2026

RISE for Youth Legislation day 2026

Address

Bon Air, VA
23832

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