National Youth Justice Network - NYJN

08/31/2026

08/12/2026

Our August featured member organization is ALAS: Educational Access for Immigrant & Court-Involved Youth, located in New Orleans! ALAS is one of the co-hosts for our upcoming 2026 Annual Forum: We Free Us.

ALAS started in a New Orleans classroom with a teacher who kept watching the same thing happen: a student would get arrested or picked up by immigration, and the adults who knew that kid best, their teachers, had no idea how to help. So ALAS started teaching them.

Today ALAS trains educators across a dozen New Orleans schools to stand with students facing immigration and criminal courts. They connect young people to attorneys who will actually take their cases. They help teachers write to judges so a kid can finish the school year instead of waiting it out in jail. In immigration court, a young person who walks in alone wins their case 8% of the time. With a lawyer beside them, 88%. ALAS exists to help close that gap.

More than 600 students have come through the doors of ALAS since its founding. That's over 600 students that have opportunities and resources that they wouldn't have if ALAS didn't exist.

08/11/2026

We are very excited to be hosting this webinar tomorrow in preparation for our Annual Forum next week! Register here to attend: https://bit.ly/4yLm1XW

Join us on 8/12 for a special workshop on restorative justice facilitated by DayOneNotDayTwo! Guided by the commitment to developing self-determined communities, this webinar will explore how restorative justice can help people stay connected through healing, relationship building, and the fight for liberation. This workshop is a lead-up for a restorative justice circle that DayOneNotDayTwo will be facilitating at our upcoming Annual Forum.

Register here: https://bit.ly/4yLm1XW

DayOneNotDayTwo is a nationally recognized, youth-led and intergenerational movement based in Philadephia, PA, that advances community-based alternatives to youth incarceration. Rooted in healing, creativity, cultural organizing, and collective power, the organization supports young people—especially those facing serious charges—through participatory defense, restorative justice, and emotional intelligence education. By combining arts, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and community organizing, they empower local communities to develop sustainable and self-determined futures.

08/06/2026

We are excited to be partnering with Operation Stop CPS, DayOneNotDayTwo, Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights, JMACforFamilies, and ALAS on co-hosting our 2026 Annual Forum: We Free Us. This Forum is invitation to members of each movement across intersecting ecosystems that are impacted by systemic harm to youth, their families and communities, to unite in our fight for abolition and safe communities.

These organizations have been integral to planning this year’s Forum, including expanding the forum across movement ecosystems that uplift our theme of intersectionality. Thank you to our co-hosts and to everyone else working to make our Forum an amazing event!

08/06/2026

Youth with physical, learning, or intellectual disabilities are overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. Last month was disability pride month, and MCYJ Intern Amanda Acey looked at ways we can better support youth with disabilities, starting in schools. Read it in full here: https://www.miyouthjustice.org/post/for-youth-with-disabilities-justice-advocacy-starts-in-school?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_5jeyikyvxr

08/03/2026

Join us on 8/12 for a special workshop on restorative justice facilitated by DayOneNotDayTwo! Guided by the commitment to developing self-determined communities, this webinar will explore how restorative justice can help people stay connected through healing, relationship building, and the fight for liberation. This workshop is a lead-up for a restorative justice circle that DayOneNotDayTwo will be facilitating at our upcoming Annual Forum.

Register here: https://bit.ly/4yLm1XW

DayOneNotDayTwo is a nationally recognized, youth-led and intergenerational movement based in Philadephia, PA, that advances community-based alternatives to youth incarceration. Rooted in healing, creativity, cultural organizing, and collective power, the organization supports young people—especially those facing serious charges—through participatory defense, restorative justice, and emotional intelligence education. By combining arts, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and community organizing, they empower local communities to develop sustainable and self-determined futures.

07/30/2026

We are excited to welcome Missouri Justice Coalition and DayOneNotDayTwo into our network!

MoJustice is dedicated to serving as a unifying force across the state of Missouri, bringing together individuals impacted by the criminal punishment system. Our mission is to educate, empower, and unite community members, transforming them into a powerful advocacy base.

DayOneNotDayTwo is a nationally recognized, youth-led and intergenerational movement based in Philadephia, PA, that advances community-based alternatives to youth incarceration. Rooted in healing, creativity, cultural organizing, and collective power, the organization supports young people—especially those facing serious charges—through participatory defense, restorative justice, and emotional intelligence education.

Learn more about NYJN membership and nyjn.org/membership

07/30/2026

07/28/2026

Today is the last day to book hotel rooms at our special discounted rate for our Annual Forum coming up next month! You can register and book rooms here: https://nyjn.org/2026-annual-forum-we-free-us

07/28/2026

Great news! The MA Senate adopted Senator Brendan Crighton's amendment which would raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to age 19, State Senator Cindy Friedman's amendment which would remove administrative barriers to sealing juvenile and criminal records, to the economic development bill. We are overjoyed at these policies advancing and want to extend our gratitude to Senate President Karen E. Spilka and State Senator Lydia Edwards for your amazing leadership and advocacy. We also want to thank all of our coalition partners and allies for your calls, emails and conversations with your legislatures stressing the importance of these policies in ensuring that young people are positioned to transition into a successful and productive adulthood, meaningfully participate in our economy and become a part of the workforce without enduring the significant barriers posed by criminal records. Thank you to the co-sponsors of both of these amendments, more information can be found here: https://conta.cc/4yvSbqe