Youth Justice Network

Youth Justice Network (formerly Friends of Island Academy) was founded in 1990 at an alternative high school on Rikers Island – known then as Island Academy – to address recidivism rates, untapped potential and disproportionate confinement of young people of color among the thousands of adolescents who attended school on Rikers Island each year. YJN begins its work with youth during their time in custody and supports them as they transition back to life outside confinement. The longer youth remain engaged with Youth Justice Network's community, the greater the influence we have on their trajectory toward becoming economically independent adults, connected to their communities in positive ways.

Our organization and its services are rooted in a passion for and belief in our individual youth members' resilience and ability to achieve. We are small and our services are intense, personal and flexible. Our approach to service delivery incorporates the key principles of evidence-based practice derived from the research on risk reduction and draws on what our field has learned over the last two decades. These include principles of positive youth development (giving youth a sense of belonging and opportunities to achieve), tailored services driven by risk/need assessments and recognition of adolescents' brain development and readiness for change. These aspects of our vision have neither changed nor wavered since our earliest years of operation.

Our model is structured on trusting relationships that drive positive outcomes forward. Whether we meet our participants in a jail, in court, or in the community, each participant has a Youth Advocate who facilitates their growth and development. Everyone we serve has someone they can count on.
We build relationships of trust, honesty, and respect. From the moment participants meet with a Advocate, we remain in their corner, with no start and end dates.
Our program hubs are peaceful, safe spaces where young people can learn to be themselves, access opportunities, and grow into healthy, independent, thriving community leaders.
Youth Justice Network also meets the needs of justice-involved youth through a variety of programs, united by the common “core" of Youth Advocacy, which provides wrap-around services, coaching, and mentoring to young people. In addition, we provide arts workshops; a High School Equivalency program; employment services and job placement; youth leadership (in which youth members are trained in social issues, activism, and public speaking); and programs such as ARCHES (a transformative mentoring program for young people on Probation). YJN also offers a fatherhood program to non-custodial fathers in the Bronx, in order to address inter-generational cycles of father absence, and a parent support program based in Manhattan Family Court.

Through our services and programs, we offer opportunities for young people to grow and thrive.
Each year, we serve 750+ young people whose lives have intersected with the city’s jail system are served; that's 17,000 total engagements with young people, for periods averaging over 20 months.
78% of youth sentenced have had their sentences reduced or have been released from jail as a direct result of our intensive mitigation and court advocacy.
Our Career Center has made 175 new job placements every year, and our career skills workshop has a 95% graduation rate.
100% of our Youth Mentor staff are YJN program alumni, uniquely positioned to lead and support their younger peers.
We've made 7,000 connections to holistic support each year: that means calling grandparents, sitting in court with siblings, waiting with aunts for the bus at Rikers — anything we can do to strengthen a young person’s support system.