justice for youth is not just possible, it’s necessary.


what we do

Policy and Advocacy create structural change. Education builds awareness and shifts public opinion. Organizing builds the power needed to demand and defend those changes. When done in coordination, they can dismantle oppressive systems and build the alternatives our communities need.

 

policy & Advocacy

We will advocate for and support policy change that mandates alternatives to incarceration like prevention, diversion and rehabilitation.

education

We will expand support for restorative solutions by informing the public.

Community organizing

We will inspire action and activism for a movement towards sustainable change.

meet our people

our mission

The Juvenile Justice Coalition serves as an advocacy vehicle to empower youth, families, and communities impacted by the juvenile justice system through policy reform, advocacy, education, and community organizing.

our vision

We envision an Ohio where restorative practices, equitable resources, and healing replace a punitive juvenile justice system— an Ohio where every young person and family is supported in reaching their full potential and empowered to thrive in safe, supportive, and stable communities.

WE BELIEVE

restorative justice

JJC believes that systems that work with youth – including juvenile courts and schools – must fundamentally shift from a punitive, punishment-based approach to a restorative approach.

raising awareness

We have been active in leading rallies, marches, and rebellions in the face of the indiscriminate murder of unarmed Black men by the police. Our media presence has solidified our organization in the public eye as a force for good and equality. Our voice will only get louder as we work to end youth incarceration.

mandatory bindovers

In Ohio, juvenile court judges must transfer certain youth under the age of 18 to the adult court system if they are charged with – not convicted of – certain offenses. In Fiscal Year 2016, 168 youth were bound over to adult court. We are working with partners across the state to eliminate mandatory bindovers.

The current juvenile justice system faces significant challenges that limit its ability to truly support young people. Too often, it emphasizes punishment over support, separation over healing, and control over care, especially impacting youth from marginalized communities. Rather than resolving the root causes of harm, it can unintentionally contribute to cycles of trauma and disconnection.

We believe in a brighter, more compassionate approach—one grounded in restorative practices, equitable opportunities, and community-based healing. When we invest in schools, families, mental health care, and youth development, we create conditions for all young people to grow, succeed, and thrive in their communities.

Our commitment is to reimagine what justice for youth can look like. We envision a future where young people are met with understanding and opportunity, where every child and family are supported in reaching their full potential—and where accountability and safety are achieved through care, not confinement. 

 

our history

The Juvenile Justice Coalition is an advocacy organization working with and on behalf of Ohio youth and families involved with the juvenile justice system. We believe in a more restorative, equitable, and community-based juvenile justice system where accountability and safety are achieved through care, not confinement—a better, more just future is possible.

For over 30 years, the Juvenile Justice Coalition operated as a volunteer-led community organization, driven by the passion and urgency of directly impacted individuals, families, and advocates. Our commitment has always been rooted in the belief that young people deserve restorative solutions, supportive communities, and equitable opportunities.

Throughout our history, we have played a key role in many of Ohio’s most significant juvenile justice reforms, including:

  • Advocating for the elimination of mandatory juvenile bindovers to the adult court system

  • Advancing youth sentencing reform, including limits on juvenile life without parole

  • Promoting alternatives to detention and expanding community-based interventions

  • Supporting school discipline reform to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline

  • Championing racial equity and bringing community voices into statewide policy decisions

We do this work because we know the juvenile justice system can be better. We continue to grow as a movement rooted in policy, advocacy, education, and community organizing because justice for youth is not just possible, it’s necessary.

  • policy advocacy

    Convening various groups of advocates to coordinate positions on juvenile justice issues, such as:

    ending indiscriminate shackling

    truancy reform (In December 2016, the Ohio General Assembly passed HB 410 with strong bipartisan support to make courts the last step in addressing chronic truancy).

    juvenile sentencing legislation including an end to juvenile life without parole (JLWOP)

    Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) reauthorization

    Juvenile sex offender registry reform efforts (SB3 and SB10).

    Working to end Mandatory Bindover in Ohio

  • partnerships

    Coordinating an Ohio assessment of legal representation for indigent youth in Ohio published in March 2003 in partnership with the Children’s Law Center.

    Partnering with OSU Counselors for Social Justice and Nationwide Children’s Hospital to advocate for an end to Mandatory Bindover

    Working with many Ohio organizations on health and stability for youth, including Honesty 4 Ohio Education, OFUPAC, and Groundwork Ohio.

    Represent Ohio in the National Juvenile Justice Network and Youth First

  • community education

    Organizing a community education project to make youth and families more aware of their rights in the juvenile justice system as an outgrowth of the above assessment.

    Ohio Rising with Ohio Women’s Alliance

    Outreach to schools and community centers to reach young people directly

    Hosted webinars and seminars on police reform, racial disparities, and organizing

  • youth leadership

    Our youth leadership team, Voices of the Unheard, organized several campaigns

    Collecting stories from youth, incarcerated and free, to gauge direct impact of racial and economic disparities on Ohio’s underserved youth

  • HB 410

    In December 2016, the Ohio General Assembly passed HB 410 with strong bipartisan support. HB 410 is fully effective in the 2017-2018 school year and will work to reengage thousands of students who miss school, while also using the court system as a last resort for dealing with those students. This achievement was a hard-fought victory and a team effort.

  • improving data collection

    Each year, there are 95,000 youths with status defense and delinquency cases in Ohio’s juvenile courts, but there is only comprehensive state level data on 5% of those cases reported to the Ohio Supreme Courts by local courts. In June 2016, JJC released a report entitled Denied Existence: The Untold Stories of 90,000 Cases in Ohio’s Juvenile Courts, which included recommendations to improve this collection process.