Youth Justice Network

Background

Youth Justice Network is a criminal justice reform organization operating in New York City. It was founded in 1990 as Friends of the Island Academy by a group of educators and left-wing activists at the Island Academy high school on the Rikers Island prison campus. After it helped abolish the practice of holding 16 and 17-year-olds at Rikers, the group changed its name to Youth Justice Network. ¹

Youth Justice Network stands against incarceration and aims to create an equitable justice system through community programs that help young people become leaders. It attributes high incarceration rates to “the racist systems.” Youth Justice Network aims to work toward a future where no young people go to jail and to eradicate inequity and racism in the justice system.¹

Activities

Youth Justice Network hires a youth mentoring staff comprised entirely of Youth Justice Network alumni who in turn train the younger generation. ¹

Its Center for Education provides some 800 hours per year of extra-curricular instruction. ¹

Its Network of Care reaches out to incarcerated young people’s family members and provides services to them, such as riding the bus to prison with them, calling them on the phone, or sitting with them in court. ¹

Finances

In 2021, Youth Justice Network had a total revenue of $6,485,037, total expenses of $4,731,324, and net assets or fund balances of $1,225,090. ²

Funding

Youth Justice Network is funded by the Annabelle Foundation, Affinity Legacy, Brooklyn Community Foundation, the Brooklyn Arts Council, Church Heavenly Rest, Columbia University, the Dammann Fund, the Edward S. Moore Family Foundation, the Hyde and Watson Foundation, Know Your Rights Camp, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Mary J. Hutchins Foundation, Michael Touch Foundation, the New York Bar Foundation, New York Community Trust, Pilot Growth, the Pinkerton Foundation, Steven and Alexandira Cohen Foundation, Theodore Luce Charitable Trust, the Tow Foundation, Urban Institute, Venable Foundation, and the William T Grant Foundation. ³

Leadership

As of 2023, the executive director of Youth Justice Network was Christine Pahigian. ³ Pahigian has been the executive director since 2008. Previously, she was the regional director of the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA) from 2001 to 2008, the director of training and program development at the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES) from 1997 to 2001, and the project director of the New York City Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety from 1992 to 1994. She attended Barnard College for a bachelor’s in political science and government and New York University’s Wagner School for a master’s degree in public administration. ⁴