Find out what we've been up to in the month of February!

This first report from the Young Advocates Project presents findings from engagement with over 120 young people across England and Wales, and focuses on the three priority topics of stereotypes, education and warning signs, and jail (custody). The aim was to identify patterns that run through society, and the education and justice systems overall, to find out what young people feel increases the chance of entering the justice system.

This is the first report from the Young Advocates Project, which has been co-produced by children and young people with first-hand experience of the youth justice system.

StopWatch, which works to ensure fair and accountable policing in the UK, discusses inappropriate and ineffective police stop and searches on children, highlighting the shameful racial inequalities which persist and calling for higher standards and more oversight on the practice.

In her new role, Millie will be leading the development and delivery of AYJ’s programme of policy and parliamentary work and implementing the influencing strategy.

Anne Longfield, Chair of the Commission on Young Lives, highlights the reality of the exacerbated issues faced by vulnerable children and families following the COVID-19 pandemic, and calls for deep-rooted reform of the services that should be supporting them, as well as the way in which they are viewed by Government and society.

AYJ has responded to the Ministry of Justice’s Prisons Strategy White Paper which sets out the government’s 10-year vision for a reformed prison system. At the AYJ, we welcome that the MoJ has not included the children’s secure estate in its strategy for prisons. However, we also recognise that a comprehensive, long-term vision for the children’s secure estate is desperately needed and long overdue.

AYJ has responded to the Ministry of Justice’s Prisons Strategy White Paper which sets out the government’s 10-year vision for a reformed prison system.

Today marks 1 year since we launched as the Alliance for Youth Justice (AYJ)! The AYJ brings together 75 organisations to advocate for and with children to drive positive change in youth justice.

Find out what we've been up to in the month of January!