National Youth Justice Network - NYJN

10/19/2026

For Week 3 of , we're focusing on Health, Hope, and Healing.
Young people deserve spaces where they feel safe, supported, valued, and hopeful about their futures.

That means investing in mental and behavioral health supports, positive relationships, restorative approaches, and community-based resources that respond to young people's needs rather than defining them by their hardest moments.

A future where youth thrive must also be a future where youth have the opportunities and support they need to heal.

10/15/2026

This year's Impact Award goes to Jennifer Ubiera and the Annie E. Casey Foundation!

Jennifer is an alumnus of our Youth Justice Leadership Institute and has experienced having a young adult family member involved in the criminal legal system. She is a Senior Associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation and manages the Youth Justice Policy portfolio. There she is responsible for developing and implementing policy advocacy and influence strategies as well as managing grants that advance the Foundation’s youth justice transformation priorities. Prior to joining the Foundation, Jennifer was the Senior Policy Counsel for the Council for Court Excellence (CCE) managing their youth justice and justice education portfolio where she conducted research, data collection and analysis, and issued resources and reports to inform public policy and advocate for changes to Washington, D.C.’s legal systems. She also served as the Organizing and Advocacy Fellow at the Georgetown Juvenile Justice Clinic & Initiative at the Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Ubiera represented youth accused of committing delinquent acts and organized local coalitions to advocate for solutions to issues in the youth justice landscape. Jennifer is also a member of Law 4 Black Lives where she facilitates popular education workshops at the intersection of law, race, and identity. Jennifer is originally from Miami, FL and holds an LL.M. in Advocacy from Georgetown Law, a J.D. from Barry University School of Law, and a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of South Florida.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation is devoted to developing a brighter future for millions of children and young people with respect to their educational, economic, social and health outcomes. Their philanthropic work focuses on strengthening families, building stronger communities and ensuring access to opportunity, because children, youth and young adults need all three to succeed. They advance research and solutions to overcome the barriers to success, help communities demonstrate what works and influence decision makers to invest in strategies based on solid evidence.

10/13/2026

At this year's Annual Forum we honored Sincere Allah, who was the plenary speaker at last year's Annual Forum, with a Legacy Award.

Sincere, a youth decriminalization and criminal legal system reform advocate, dedicated his life’s work to supporting people harmed by incarceration–both those who were re-entering society and those who were still incarcerated. Sincere utilized grassroots advocacy to improve outcomes for criminalized people through policy change, organizing, education, and community empowerment.

In sharing his personal experience at last year's Annual Forum, he illuminated the harms and failures of systems that criminalize and illustrated the need to offer healing and care, rather than systems of harm and exclusion for our young people. He inspired and grounded us all to work as a collective in our movement for youth decriminalization.

Above all else, Sincere was a good man, amazing mentor, and dedicated member of our community who was harmed repeatedly by a deeply unjust system–a system that did not begin and end in his incarceration. In the words of Sincere, “Freedom isn’t Free.”

Rest in Power, Sincere.

10/13/2026

Keeping Youth in Schools and Out of the Justice System!

In recognition of Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM), JusticeLink is hosting members of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice’s (CJJ) School-to-Prison Pipeline Subcommittee for an important virtual conversation on how schools and communities can work together to prevent youth justice system involvement.

Join us as we explore national trends contributing to the school-to-prison pipeline, federal funding opportunities that support prevention and alternative approaches, and promising school-community partnerships making a difference.

💬 Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions, connect with advocates, and learn how to get involved with CJJ’s School-to-Prison Pipeline Subcommittee.

Together, we can strengthen schools, expand opportunities, and build a future where young people thrive!

Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/RPxCyxeWTwCp33pYAbAgsQ #/registration

10/12/2026

It's week 2 of Youth Justice Action Month, we're celebrating Youth Leading the Movement.

Building a future where youth thrive requires more than asking young people for their opinions. It means creating meaningful opportunities for youth to influence decisions, develop solutions, lead initiatives, and hold systems accountable. Young people know what their communities need and should be recognized and supported as leaders.

It's time to make sure they have the space, resources, and power to lead.

10/09/2026

Texas youth – regardless of their background or needs — deserve an opportunity to learn, grow, and heal. This is especially true for youth in our juvenile justice system, which was created with the understanding that rehabilitation is the ultimate goal.

That’s the Texas we’re fighting for every day. However, this is not what is happening for some youth in Texas, particularly those subjected to punitive conditions in TJJD’s state secure facilities, which have only worsened due to systemwide lockdowns.

This Youth Justice Action Month, help us share what conditions were like during these lockdowns, and contact your state representatives to voice your concern about them. You can find your state representatives at the link in the comments.

10/08/2026

During this year's Annual Forum we recognized Reverend Annie Chambers with a Legacy Award for her lifetime of service to the movement.

Reverend Annie was a lifelong organizer, activist, and community leader whose work connected the struggles for racial justice, economic justice, welfare rights, housing, and family liberation. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Rev. Chambers became a powerful voice in the city’s civil rights and welfare rights movements, organizing with and alongside poor and working-class Black communities who were fighting for dignity, autonomy, and the right to determine the futures of their families.

Her organizing reflected a deep understanding of the connections between systems of oppression. Rev Annie Chambers is now an ancestor, but her legacy continues to guide organizers and communities.

Rest in power, Rev. Annie

10/06/2026

The research is clear: When youth get guidance and opportunity instead of punishment, they grow — and communities become safer.

10/06/2026

Week one of Youth Justice Action Month is all about Education & Empowerment!

Every young person deserves opportunities to learn, grow, discover their strengths, and envision a future where they can thrive.

When we invest in education, mentorship, workforce development, and opportunities for young people to lead, we aren't just supporting individual youth—we're strengthening entire communities. This is especially important for young people that are criminalized and incarcerated.

10/02/2026