IRS 990 Nonprofit Profile

Youth Justice Network Inc

(continued from page 1) youth justice network (yjn)s mission is to break cycles of incarceration and build an equitable justice system by providing young people with individualized advocacy, mentor-ship, and opportunities to grow, thrive, and lead.Youth justice network, inc. (youth justice network) (formerly friends of island academy, inc.) was founded in 1990 to anchor, support and build capacity among young people released from jail in new york city. the organization was created on the school floors of the alternative high school on rikers island (island academy) in the late 1980s, as mass incarceration was on its upward slope.On december 28, 2020, a certificate of amendment to the certificate of incorporation was signed by the new york department of state. this amended the name of friends of island academy, inc. to youth justice network, inc. and changed the business address to 63 w 125th street, 4th floor, new york, ny 10027.For 33 years, youth justice network has supported young people whose lives intersect with new york citys jails. youth justice networks model of service breaks cycles of incarceration and promotes an equitable justice system by providing young people with opportunities to grow, thrive, and lead. through a combination of individualized advocacy, mentor-ship, and services, their network of advocates develops relationships with young people whose lives intersect with the justice system. youth justice network leverages those relationships together with existing local resources, enabling young people to forge pathways to their wellbeing and positive development.Program services, partnerships, and activities from the first moment youth justice network staff connect with a young person in jail, juvenile custody, court, or in the neighborhood the agency staff remain their committed advocates throughout the justice system and long after. through its core model of pre- and post-release support, each young person is paired with a youth advocate who serves as a mentor, coach, resource navigator, and confidante. together, they co-create a plan to set goals, navigate barriers, and reduce the likelihood of continued justice system involvement. advocates provide individual and ongoing mentorship to help young people address trauma and support their health and wellbeing on and off rikers island. many youth justice network staff have lived experience in the justice and/or child welfare systems. as credible messengers, they build trusting relationships and become part of a network of protective factors to support young people upon release.The time immediately after release from jail is critical a majority of young people are released from jails without stable housing or income sources, and need support to stay focused on their newly created goals.Anchored by community hubs in harlem, brooklyn, and the bronx, the organization provides integrated programs for young people and families which are tailored to meet individual needs, including job and career development, family and parenting supports, education, mental health supports, arts and civic engagement.Youth justice network has close working relationships with key local public agencies including the new york city departments of probation, correction, education, and youth and community development as well as the mayors office of criminal justice and the citys administration for childrens services and housing authority. we work in close partnership with grassroots and neighborhood-based youth serving organizations city-wide and serve as part of key coalitions dedicated effective and equitable justice. through all of these collaborations, youth justice network works to ensure that its services have the greatest impact on reducing re-arrest and re-incarceration and sustaining positive youth development.Programmatically, in response to the pandemic, youth justice network took preemptive and creative actions to address and redirect the impact of these lived realities. the organization continues to address the real-time, ongoing, and heightened barriers to advancement and self-efficacy for teenagers and emerging adults who continue to cycle through rikers island. we launched shifting gears, a mobile advocacy and career services bus that travels and parks city-wide to offer real-time direct supports on the block. shifting gears is a team of two mobile career and advocacy buses that drive deep into neighborhoods where young people are most policed, most jailed, and most in need of opportunities to grow, thrive, and lead. shifting gears staff include a team of youth mentors credible messengers who are formerly incarcerated and former yjn participants. youth mentors catalyze engagement on the street, which in turn leads to authentic connection, a process of healing, and ultimately to comprehensive tailored services and supports. this team works closely with yjn direct services staff comprised of career specialists, educators, therapeutic and creative arts professionals, and court advocates who leverage community and family support to facilitate sustained positive youth outcomes.Youth justice network supports participants in their trajectory through a combination of integrated services and supports, as follows:i. health & wellbeing therapeutic and creative arts: youth justice networks arts and culture team offers weekly workshops and opportunities for engagement in long-term community arts projects for youth, including music creation and spoken word poetry, mural works, photography, and clothing design. in addition, youth justice networks in-house art therapist collaborates with several agency programs to provide individual and group art therapy sessions for young people, promoting healing, resilience, and trust through creative expression. arches/harlem: through an evidence-based cognitive-behavioral curriculum and supports, youth justice network provides mentors to youth on probation to develop healthy relationships, improve decision-making, and work on education and employment-related personal growth.Family matters: a parent support program for families of youth in manhattan family court who are going through the delinquency process. through this program funded by the new york city department of probation, youth justice networks parent coaches support the parents and guardians of children undergoing delinquency proceedings in family court, helping them to keep up with court requirements and to navigate the citys supports and service providers.Friends to fathers: through this bronx-based program, youth justice network seeks to break intergenerational cycles of incarceration by working with noncustodial fathers to increase their engagement and involvement with their children, improve parenting skills, address domestic violence, build cognitive/behavioral skills and facilitate gainful employment.Ii. education and career pathways career services center: the career team equips young people with skills needed to succeed in the workplace and gain financial autonomy, including: paid career readiness workshops, placement into paid internships and permanent employment in marketable fields, ongoing retention and employment support services, and integration with our education program. job-seeking youth members have access to our network of referrals, resources, and in-house programming, creating a network of dedicated adults that young people feel they can reach out to for anything from help finding a job to just catching up in the office. education center: anchored by high school equivalency classes that are open to justice-involved youth between the ages of 17 and 24, youth justice networks education center provides individualized support to young people at all levels in their educational journeys, including academic assessment, hse instruction, individual tutoring, and connections to alternative educational opportunities and to college. to adapt to youths changing and increased levels of academic need in the wake of the pandemic, the education center has launched a multidisciplinary project that integrates current career, education, and arts/wellbeing services. program directors collaborate to provide a culturally-resonate hse curriculum; real-world applicable job training; and arts, health, and healing initiatives for young, justice-impacted students to encourage engagement and retention. iii. defender-based court advocacy and law library servicesmiller center for special mitigation: youth justice networks miller center is a team of dedicated youth justice network staff who provide city-wide case triage, expediting and defender-based advocacy, resulting in releases from custody at different points along the case process (bail, pre-plea, pre-sentence) to minimize lengths of stay in detention, mitigate sentence length, and minimize further penetration into the justice system.

Filing year

2023

Total revenue

$5.2M

Total expenses

$5.5M

Program expenses

$4.3M

Administration

$951K

Fundraising

$240K

Program share of expenses

78%

EIN

133576756

Location

New York, NY

www.youthjustice.org