About the hosts:

New Mexico Youth Justice Coalition is a coalition of young people, families, allies, and community members whose lives have been directly impacted by punitive criminal justice and juvenile justice systems, working to build safe communities that don't rely on prisons to address community needs.

Our goal is to close all youth prisons in New Mexico and decrease the overall number of youths locked in facilities throughout the state, we are also focused on reinvesting in effective, outcome-driven, community-based alternatives to locked facilities and other punitive programs. New Mexico consistently ranks as the worst place to raise a child, with some of the worst well-being outcomes for youth in the country. Our state has made strides in reforming its juvenile justice system but continues to disproportionately impact the lives of BIPOC young people. 

NMYJC believes in building leadership with directly impacted young people and families, with the knowledge that the people closest to the problems are closest to the solutions. The New Mexico Youth Justice Coalition is dedicated to empowering young people to work alongside their peers, their communities, and decision makers to build a New Mexico where we don't put kids in cages, but we do invest in their futures.