Our mission is both bold and essential: to end youth imprisonment entirely, and to replace our country’s punitive youth justice model with investments in life-affirming community-based alternatives. 

A world with no kids in prison.

Youth incarceration is a failed, broken system. It’s racist, it’s abusive and it wastes money that could be used to actually help young people. We don’t believe in locking kids up. We believe in second chances, healing communities and people-driven solutions that address the root causes of harm. We’re fighting for a world where no young person sees the inside of a prison, where communities are strong and supportive and where everyone has the chance to thrive.

We believe locking up kids is wrong, no matter what they’ve done. It just doesn’t work. When young people mess up, they deserve a second chance. We’re fighting for a world where those who’ve been hurt can heal and find their place in the community, and those who’ve caused harm are held accountable by the community and its members to be fully restored.

While we recognize that abolition is a gradual process that necessitates care and consideration of all involved, we firmly oppose any policies or investments that perpetuate or maintain the cycle of youth incarceration. We support policies that get young people out of jail and put money into things that actually help them, plain and simple. We know ending the system of locking people up takes time, but we won’t support anything that keeps things the same.

We are dedicated to resisting oppressive ideologies and capitalist systems like racism, patriarchy and economic inequality. We believe fostering safe and thriving communities for all necessitates investments in essentials like schools, food security, housing and healthcare. These investments must be made in equitable and just ways that promote freedom from harm.

Prisons and jails don’t work. We need to create new ways of dealing with harm and violence that actually help people grow and change, and communities need to be in control of the solution. We need people-centered alternatives to incarceration. We believe in people-centered alternatives to incarceration. We believe we must invest in building new, restorative and transformative methods of addressing harm and violence.

We believe in the collaborative cultivation of youth power. We partner with young leaders to support their capacity to effect change in their communities.

Strategic rigor and excellence are fundamental to our approach. We commit to best practices and expert collaboration in every campaign we promote and support.

Racial justice is a cornerstone of our work. This principle directs our efforts, ensuring that racial equity is integrated into all aspects of our campaigns.

We’re committed to community reinvestment because it is crucial to creating sustainable alternatives to youth incarceration.