The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most widely adopted human rights treaty in the world. Every single nation on earth has ratified it except for one – the United States. On December 10, International Human Rights Day, join CFYJ as we discuss the human rights dimensions of our youth justice work.

Join the CFYJ for a conversation about our report on prison housing and the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). Our policy director Carmen Daugherty will discuss our findings, data, and how PREA implementation is affecting the under 18 population in adult prisons.

Research indicates that youth with strong family ties—under a broad definition of family including other family members, close friends and mentors—are more likely to succeed upon release. Systems can improve their work by making meaningful connections between youth and their families, as well as support family partic ipation at each stage of a young person’s experience through the justice system, is critical to reform efforts. Families are oftentimes the most vocal and powerful advocates of youth justice and are instrumental in transforming the justice system. Their personal experiences not only help to bring an urgency and expertise to reform efforts, but also provide rich and detailed information as to ways systems can be strengthened to support families. 

In the past few years we have seen the acceptance of using social media for social change. Because of its real-time nature, social media requires purposeful messaging development and careful execution of your posts to create the needed action or intended response. Are you ready to add social media to your campaign plan or just be more effect at your social media efforts? This webinar is just for you. What a better time to perfect your social media presence during this legislative session.

Are you using TweetDeck, Google Hangout or blog carnivals? Does this all sound like a foreign language? Well, our friends at SparkAction will provide you with great ideas on how to start or build your current social media presence, use relevant and compelling language and highlight social media best practices. SparkAction is a collaborative journalism and advocacy network to mobilize action by and for young people, and are experts in utilizing the power of the web to amplify causes and campaigns.

Unlikely allies are particularly persuasive in calling for criminal justice reform. They can provide needed access to key policymakers and opinion leaders, reach new audiences, and provide the needed political ³cover² to persuade decision-makers to support reform. Shifting away from ³tough on crime² to smart on crime offers youth justice reformers the opportunity to engage an ever-broadening range of unlikely allies to support your causes and cases. Sarah Turberville, Senior Counsel at The Constitution Project, will provided insight on how best to identify, recruit and activate relevant unlikely allies to support your campaign.

Need effective messages for your campaign efforts or have questions about how to reach the conservatives in your state? Want to know what the national polling says about youth justice issues? Need advice on messaging to different audiences? Our polling and messaging expert Michael Bocian answers these questions and more on this Webinar.  Michael is a founding partner at GBA Strategies, serves as pollster and strategist for gubernatorial, senate, congressional, state legislative, mayoral and ballot initiative campaigns. With 15 years of experience, he has worked for, many political and issue advocacy groups, membership associations and corporate clients.

Have you wanted to work with young people but don¹t know where or how to start?  Tune in to the Just Kids webinar to learn why working with is valuable for your campaign, how recruit the right youth and  ways to make the partnership beneficial youth and adults. In this webinar learn from real life examples from Maryland¹s campaign to end the automatic prosecution of youth as adults.  The webinar was co-facilitated by  Kevin R, a Core Alliance of Youth Leader Member and Kara A., Director of Advocacy for Just Kids