National Youth Justice Network - NYJN

Calling all youth and advocates! We are in full planning mode for this year's Youth Justice Action Month, and we want to hear from you! Please fill out the survey to help us create the theme for this year's YJAM: bit.ly/YJAMSurvey26

Today we celebrate Juneteenth, which marks the anniversary of the date that the last enslaved people in the United States were informed of their freedom - years after they were legally freed. Today we celebrate Black freedom, resistance, resilience, culture, and brilliance. Today and every day we continue to fight for freedom and racial justice, and we encourage you to do the same.

This Pride Month we want to highlight that LGBTQ+ young people are disproportionately impacted by criminalization, and also treated especially poorly within the system. We fight for the rights, dignity, and well-being of all young people and that always includes our LGBTQ+ youth.

Earlier this month our Youth Justice Leadership Institute fellows gathered in Oakland for an in-person retreat together to kick off the fellowship. Together we built and strengthened relationships, engaged in healing practices, and examined our orientation towards the work of youth justice.

It was a deeply transformational gathering and we are honored to have had the opportunity to share space and build together. Between now and December these fellows will meet regularly to engage in a variety of leadership and healing justice practices while also working on advocacy projects in their areas

The One Area Where a 14-Year-Old Is an Adult Lawmakers are finding catharsis in sending children to prison.

This month we are excited to showcase RISE for Youth, one of our member organizations located in Virginia! RISE for Youth is a nonpartisan organization committed to dismantling the youth prison model and ensuring every space that impacts a young person’s life encourages growth and success. RISE promotes the creation of healthy communities and community-based alternatives to youth incarceration through policy advocacy and youth leadership programs.

Grounded in community input and driven by the voices of impacted youth and families, their Theory of Change underscores the critical link between comprehensive youth support systems, policy advocacy, and equitable opportunities. By integrating these components, RISE for Youth envisions a future where every young person has access to nurturing environments that prioritize growth, safety and empowerment.

Celebrating, affirming, and supporting LGBTQ+ youth is a crucial part of creating a better world for our young people. We'll spend this Pride Month lifting up our LGBTQ+ youth and we encourage you to do the same!

A great opportunity to advocate for change in Massachusetts!

Do you think adolescents who are too young to legally drink, smoke, gamble or rent a car should be subjected to the harsh environment of adult jails and prisons - even for minor offenses? You can change that here in Massachusetts.

Join the coalition behind the Raise the Age campaign for a lobby day at the Massachusetts State House on Wednesday, June 10th from 1pm to 4pm! We will be meeting with State Representatives urging their support for the Raise the Age bill (S. 1061).

Please join us and encourage your friends to come as well! No experience necessary. Join us for one of two Raise the Age ambassador trainings to learn about talking with legislators and choosing a lobbying team to join.

Register and learn more here: https://www.cfjj.org/raise-the-age-lobby-day-2026

We declare June Stolen Children's Month! This month, we honor children stolen by the family policing system, the ICE machine, youth incarceration, private adoption industries, and forced treatment facilities.

We stand in solidarity with the Stolen Children's Month campaign that is building narrative power to abolish ALL systems that steal children and separate families.

Learn more and take action: StolenChildrensMonth.com

The 2nd Annual Stolen Children's Month is coming up in June! Stolen Children's Month is a time to uplift the voices of stolen children and their families, and to shift the narrative towards ending family separation by abolishing systems of family policing, youth incarceration, and immigrant detention and deportation.

Learn more and sign the proclamation:

June 2025: Stolen Children's Month Stolen Children’s Month calls for the abolition of all systems that steal children and separate families, including the family policing, adoption, and foster industries; the ICE detention and deportation machine; and the prison-industrial complex.