Great Organizations

Below is a list of organizations doing great work to end girls’ and youth incarceration and to support young women, LGBTQ, and gender non-conforming youth.  Please let us know about others we should include.

ARTISTIC NOISE – http://www.artisticnoise.org/
Artistic Noise exists to bring the freedom and power of artistic practice to young people who are incarcerated, on probation, or otherwise involved in the justice system. Through visual arts and entrepreneurship programs in Massachusetts and New York, participants give voice to their experiences, build community through collaborative projects, and learn valuable life and job skills. Artistic Noise creates safe spaces where court-involved youth can be seen, heard and supported on their path to adulthood.

GEMS – http://www.gems-girls.org/
Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS) is the only organization in New York State specifically designed to serve girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking. GEMS was founded in 1998 by Rachel Lloyd, a young woman who had been sexually exploited as a teenager. GEMS has helped hundreds of young women and girls, ages 12–24, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and to develop to their full potential. GEMS provides young women with empathetic, consistent support and viable opportunities for positive change.

GEORGETOWN INITIATIVE ON GENDER JUSTICE AND OPPORTUNITY  – https://genderjusticeand opportunity.georgetown.edu/
The Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality’s Initiative on Gender, Justice and Opportunity’s mission is to center marginalized girls in research, policy, and practice; to name and address the root causes of race and gender disparities; and to develop solutions that are guided by youths’ narratives and voices.

GGE – GIRLS FOR GENDER EQUITY  https://www.ggenyc.org/
Girls for Gender Equity (GGE) is an intergenerational grassroots organization committed to the physical, psychological, social, and economic development of girls and women. Through education, organizing and physical fitness, GGE encourages communities to remove barriers and create opportunities for girls and women to live self-determined lives. GGE believes that widespread violence against women and girls of color points to deeply rooted racial and gender discrimination that must be tackled as a peace-building and human rights priority. A Brooklyn, New York-based coalition-building and youth development organization, GGE acts as a catalyst for change to improve gender and race relations and socio-economic conditions for our most vulnerable youth and communities of color.

LOHM – LADIES OF HOPE MINISTRIES – http://www.thelohm.org/
The LOHM’s mission is to help disenfranchised and marginalized women and girls transition back into society through resources and access to high-quality education, entrepreneurship, spiritual empowerment, advocacy and housing.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND JUVENILE JUSTICE – https://www.ncmhjj.com/
The National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (NCMHJJ) provides a national focal point aimed at improving policy and practice for youth with mental, substance use and trauma-related conditions—referred to as behavioral health conditions—who have come into contact with the juvenile justice system.

NATIONAL CHILD TRAUMATIC STRESS NETWORK- http://www.nctsn.org/
Established by Congress in 2000, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) brings a singular and comprehensive focus to childhood trauma. NCTSN’s collaboration of frontline providers, researchers, and families is committed to raising the standard of care while increasing access to services. Combining knowledge of child development, expertise in the full range of child traumatic experiences, and dedication to evidence-based practices, the NCTSN changes the course of children’s lives by changing the course of their care.

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION – https://www.ojjdp.gov/
The federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) supports local and state efforts to prevent delinquency and improve the juvenile justice system by supporting states, local communities, and tribal jurisdictions in their efforts to develop and implement effective programs for juveniles.  OJJDP conducts research and aggregates statistics related to youth in the system.

RIGHTS4GIRLS – http://rights4girls.org/ 
Rights4Girls is a human rights organization working to end gender-based violence in the U.S. They advocate for the dignity and rights of young women and girls—so that every girl can be safe and live a life free of violence and exploitation. Based in Washington, D.C., Rights4Girls works to make the lives of young women and girls a human rights priority. 

URBAN WORD NYC – https://www.urbanwordnyc.org
Founded on the belief that teenagers can and must speak for themselves, Urban Word NYC™ (UW) has been at the forefront of the youth spoken word, poetry and hip-hop movements in New York City since 1999. Urban Word NYC presents literary arts education and youth development programs in the areas of creative writing, journalism, college prep, literature and hip-hop. UW provides FREE, safe and uncensored writing workshops to teens year-round, and hosts the Annual NYC Teen Poetry Slam, NY Knicks Poetry Slam, local and national youth slams, festivals, reading series, open mics, and more.

URBAN YOUTH COLLABORATIVE – http://www.urbanyouthcollaborative.org/
Led by students, the Urban Youth Collaborative (UYC) brings together New York City students to fight for real education reform that puts students first. Demanding a high quality education for all students, our young people struggle for social, economic, and racial justice in our schools and communities.

VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE, INITIATIVE TO END GIRLS’ INCARCERATION – https://www.vera.org/projects/the-initiative-to-end-girls-incarceration
The end of girls’ incarceration in the United States is within reach, and Vera is leading a national initiative to make it happen in 10 years (beginning in 2017). The number of youth in the girls’ side of the juvenile justice system is small, most girls are unjustly locked up to protect their safety or to address unmet needs, and jurisdictions across the country are finally ready to commit to gender-responsive systems change.

VOICES UNBROKEN – https://www.voicesunbroken.org/
Voices Unbroken is a Bronx-based non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing under-heard members of the community-primarily youth, ages 12-24-with the tools and opportunity for creative self-expression. Through high quality creative writing workshops in juvenile justice facilities, group homes, residential treatment facilities, jails, and various other alternative settings, Voices UnBroken nurtures the inherent need in all people to tell their stories and be heard.  It is our belief that this telling of stories and sharing of dreams leads to individual and community growth.

WOMEN’S PRISON ASSOCIATION – https://www.wpaonline.org/
WPA works with women at all stages of criminal justice involvement, promoting alternatives to incarceration and helping women living in the community to avoid arrest or incarceration by making positive changes in their lives.  Inside prison and jail, WPA is a source of support to women and a resource to them as they plan for release. After incarceration, women come to WPA for help to build the lives they want for themselves and their families in the community.

YOUTH FIRST – https://www.nokidsinprison.org/
The Youth First Initiative is a national advocacy campaign to end the incarceration of youth by closing youth prisons and investing in community-based alternatives to incarceration and programs for youth. The American public strongly supports policies that favor rehabilitation and treatment over putting our youth behind bars. Many states and localities are seeing success closing their youth prisons and implementing policies that hold youth accountable for their actions while giving them opportunities for meaningful restoration in their lives. The overwhelming evidence shows that there are alternatives to youth prisons that are more fair, more safe, and more economically sound.