The National Juvenile Justice Network has just completed our third year of an anti-racist change process.  We are now in a position to rewrite our mission and vision for NJJN so that it more accurately reflects the work that NJJN is doing and the vision we have for the future.  At the July 2019 Board meeting, the Directors voted to rewrite our mission and vision in the coming year.   In the interim, the statement below captures the work that NJJN has been doing over the last few years.

The National Juvenile Justice Network leads a membership community of 58 state-based organizations and numerous individuals across 42 states and DC.  We all seek to shrink our youth justice systems and transform the remainder into systems that treat youth and families with dignity and humanity.  Our work is premised on the fundamental understanding that our youth justice systems are inextricably bound with the systemic and structural racism that  define our society, and as such we seek to change policy and practice while simultaneously building power with those who are most negatively affected by our justice systems, including young people, their families and all people of color.  We also recognize that other vulnerable populations, including LGBTQ, gender non-conforming, disabled people, girls etc... are disparately and negatively impacted by our justice systems, and thus we also seek to center their concerns in our policy change work.