Green background with black text reading: How the Pandemic Response Has Failed Young People & What We Need to Thrive

Report: How the Pandemic Response Has Failed Young People & What We Need to Thrive

This report was written by Youth Justice Project inaugural Youth Action Board members, Deja Morgan, Alexi Chacon, and Madison Nardy.  When the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic in March 2020, young people across the country became unemployed, had to adjust to a virtual learning environment, experienced loss, housing insecurity, and more with no clear…

Youth Justice Project

The Youth Justice Project can connect young people ages 16-24 to free legal help at Community Legal Services and Philadelphia Legal Assistance. We can help with: Criminal & Juvenile Records, including expungement, bench warrants, impact on employment, and court debt Family & Kids, including Childline Records (child abuse registry), DHS involvement, protection from abuse, and…

Youth Justice: Ensuring Vulnerable Youth Successfully Transition Into Adulthood and out of Poverty

Billie Washington was struggling to make ends meet. A former home care attendant, she was no longer able to work due to her rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other illnesses. While waiting for her disability benefits hearing, she began receiving General Assistance. Ms. Washington carefully budgeted the monthly $205.00 to cover her rent, toiletries, medical co-payments, and public transportation to get to doctor’s appointments. When she found out that General Assistance was being eliminated, Ms. Washington felt like she had the rug yanked out from under her. Describing the feeling of desperation, she said, “I was crushed. I just, I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

Opening Doors: How Philadelphia Area Colleges Can Promote Access and Equity by “Banning the Box”

Young people of color across Pennsylvania are over-criminalized at staggering rates. The consequences for any contact with the juvenile or criminal systems can be severe and long-lasting, while the circumstances that lead to arrest are often minor and may once have been thought of as normal adolescent behavior. The movement to “Ban the Box” on…

Youth Justice: SSI Benefits

Billie Washington was struggling to make ends meet. A former home care attendant, she was no longer able to work due to her rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other illnesses. While waiting for her disability benefits hearing, she began receiving General Assistance. Ms. Washington carefully budgeted the monthly $205.00 to cover her rent, toiletries, medical co-payments, and public transportation to get to doctor’s appointments. When she found out that General Assistance was being eliminated, Ms. Washington felt like she had the rug yanked out from under her. Describing the feeling of desperation, she said, “I was crushed. I just, I didn’t know what I was going to do.”