With relationships of trust and access to resources and opportunity, our justice-involved youth can and do RISE.
Meet I.G.
I.G. had been released from prison only 5 months before starting LSJA’s Transformative Justice workforce program in February 2023. With nearly perfect attendance and a sparkling reputation with his employer, I.G. quickly became a mentor to other students in the program. He served as the student graduation speaker, was elected by his peers, and graduated with all 3 credentials and a job earning $19/hour.
“I got out prison 5 months ago, I’ve been able to receive employment, receive certifications, I am grateful for that…I have a boy and a girl…I just did 3 years incarcerated so I missed a lot of their life. I’m not trying to miss any more of it… [From here, I’m going] to the top, all the way to the top.” – I.G., May 2023 Graduate
Project Partners
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Through our Youth Sentencing Project, we provide direct strategic litigation on behalf of youth who were tried in the adult criminal legal system and given extremely long prison sentences, particularly those sentenced to life without parole.
Youth should be held accountable for their wrongdoing in developmentally appropriate ways that consider their age, individual characteristics, and specific circumstances of their cases.
Our staff litigators take the lead on a limited number of cases every year, selecting those that have the potential to influence system-wide change. Last year, LSJA was involved in 13 cases challenging the transfer of youth (either as lead counsel or in a technical support role) and won 12 of these cases.
