Youth First Initiative

Youth First Initiative is a national advocacy initiative aiming to accelerate youth justice system transformation through the creation and support of successful state-based campaigns calling for the end of the punitive youth prison model and investments in effective community-based programs, services, and opportunities for youth. To achieve a “tipping point” in the U.S., Youth First is working to build a critical mass of states to shift away from incarceration and toward investing in youth in their communities.