Los Angeles Youth Uprising (LAYUP) was formed in early 2016, as the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Children’s Defense Fund-California, Urban Peace Institute and Youth Justice Coalition began meeting in response to the resignation of Chief Probation Officer Jerry Powers in 2016. The organizations recognized this as an opportunity to push for systemic change at the highest departmental level, with the hopes of moving LA County away from a system that punishes and incarcerates young people to a model that is committed to healing, restorative/transformative justice and youth development.
Our work is guided by the Youth Leaders Work Group, which consists of youth that have gone through the juvenile justice system. They use their personal experiences to influence decision-makers and shift power in youth justice spaces in LA. Young people coordinate this space to support one another and grow through their trauma. They build leadership through political education, a book club and actively participating in achieving LAYUP’s goals.