Our Mission

Through broad community engagement, the JES-CO initiative accomplishes six goals:

  • Align a new group of state-wide collaborators committed to shutting down the School to Prison Nexus (STPN) at the intersection of school re-enrollment and continuation

  • Gather 100 community voices to develop empathy and understanding of the educational barriers for adjudicated youth 

  • Develop a community-driven, lay friendly version of a Justice Engaged Student Bill of Rights (JESBOR) that provides guidance for navigating common challenges

  • Recommend and pursue legislative fixes that enable the provisions in the JESBOR

  • Develop and offer training for how to support justice engaged youth to other youth, families, community-based organizations, justice, education, health & human services personnel

  • Seek state funding for an adjudicated youth hotline (similar to Safe to Tell & I Matter) where students and families can receive guidance and support for school re-enrollment and success