The Community Justice Network for Youth (CJNY) is a program of the W. Haywood Burns Institute. This program is comprised of community based programs, grassroots organizations, service providing agencies, residential facilities and advocacy groups that focus their work on youth of color. The CJNY's primary function is to be a support network for organizers and practitioners who are on the ground working with youth who are at risk or already involved in the juvenile or criminal justice systems.

The CJNY has been formed to help facilitate, support and expand local, state, regional and national peer-to-peer exchange of best practices amongst community based providers committed to serving communities of color. The CJNY is committed to the empowerment of youth and their communities by promoting the availability of effective, culturally appropriate community-based interventions. The CJNY exists to be a national vehicle for organizations that are creating real solutions to replace the failed justice model as represented by large institutions, high recidivism rates and poor re-entry services and outcomes. The CJNY aims to reduce disproportionate strict sentencing and the warehousing of children of color across the country, which are some of the contributing factors to the incarceration plague we call "Rail To The Jail." Through the promotion of best practices and strong network connections, we aim to Stop the Rail to Jail for young people of color.

If you are interested in joining the network, please contact us.