Youth justice involves more than just courts and law enforcement; it includes schools, community programs, and other support systems.

Advocates support a proposed $50 million Youth Justice Innovation Fund to support community-based prevention and intervention programs.

Proposed legislation would require young people to consult with an attorney before police questioning to ensure age-appropriate protections.

A coalition is also seeking a $50 million investment to improve school climates and reduce reliance on disciplinary classroom removals.

When people hear the words “youth justice,” their minds may immediately go to courtrooms, judges, attorneys and young people who have been arrested.

But by the time a young person enters a courtroom, many other systems may already have played a role in his or her life.

There are schools and the ways they respond when students struggle or make mistakes. There are community programs that can intervene before a problem escalates. And there are opportunities, or the lack of them, for young people to feel connected to their neighborhoods and heard by the adults making decisions that affect them.

If we want a youth justice system that truly serves young people and communities, the conversation cannot begin at the courthouse door. That is why Youth Justice Action Month, recognized each October, is an important opportunity to look beyond any single law or program and consider the broader systems that surround young people.

New York must invest in the........

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