What We Do
Education
YASP conducts art, poetry, music, and empowerment workshops at Riverside Correctional Facility (R.C.F.) every Saturday with young people under 18 who are being tried as adults. We also show our documentary and do leadership building workshops at schools and colleges to teach youth about the flaws of the criminal justice system and how to avoid a a life of crime.
We believe that it is very important to talk to youth both in the adult jails and in public schools to help them stay out of the system period. We believe that the more youth that we inform about the school-to-prison pipeline, the more progress we make because knowledge is power. We believe that the reason that youth in urban communities end up going through the school-to-prison pipeline and end up incarcerated is because most of them didn’t realize that it was even in place.
Assistance
YASP's work with young people continues even after their time in the adult prison system. We meet with young people regularly to provide help with finding employment, writing resumés and cover letters, continuing education, homework, college applications, etc.
Activism & Organizing
YASP participates in rallies and demonstrations, and conducts door knocking campaigns for our petition to repeal or amend Act 33, the law that allows youth to be automatically charged as adults in PA. We are also deeply involved in work to remove all youth pretrial from adult jails, end cash bail in Philadelphia, and permanently close the House of Correction.
Youth Participatory Defense Hub
Every Tuesday, YASP holds youth participatory defense hubs, a resource for anyone who is going through the court process, anyone who has a family member or friend going through the court process, or anyone who wants to support members of the YASP community. The hub serves three main purposes- providing information on the system and all of the steps of the court process, making social bio videos and packets to change the narrative of who someone is and show the judge the perspective of the person from their loved ones rather than just judging them by their charges, and providing court support by filling the courtroom for anyone who has upcoming court dates. YASP can also provide support by helping young people find jobs, school programs, and housing. The hubs are every Tuesday from 4:30-6:30, at 924 Cherry Street, 5th Floor.
Help YASP help our communities for the better. We all have a voice, let’s use them to better the future.
YASP conducts art, poetry, music, and empowerment workshops at Riverside Correctional Facility (R.C.F.) every Saturday with young people under 18 who are being tried as adults. We also show our documentary and do leadership building workshops at schools and colleges to teach youth about the flaws of the criminal justice system and how to avoid a a life of crime.
We believe that it is very important to talk to youth both in the adult jails and in public schools to help them stay out of the system period. We believe that the more youth that we inform about the school-to-prison pipeline, the more progress we make because knowledge is power. We believe that the reason that youth in urban communities end up going through the school-to-prison pipeline and end up incarcerated is because most of them didn’t realize that it was even in place.
Assistance
YASP's work with young people continues even after their time in the adult prison system. We meet with young people regularly to provide help with finding employment, writing resumés and cover letters, continuing education, homework, college applications, etc.
Activism & Organizing
YASP participates in rallies and demonstrations, and conducts door knocking campaigns for our petition to repeal or amend Act 33, the law that allows youth to be automatically charged as adults in PA. We are also deeply involved in work to remove all youth pretrial from adult jails, end cash bail in Philadelphia, and permanently close the House of Correction.
Youth Participatory Defense Hub
Every Tuesday, YASP holds youth participatory defense hubs, a resource for anyone who is going through the court process, anyone who has a family member or friend going through the court process, or anyone who wants to support members of the YASP community. The hub serves three main purposes- providing information on the system and all of the steps of the court process, making social bio videos and packets to change the narrative of who someone is and show the judge the perspective of the person from their loved ones rather than just judging them by their charges, and providing court support by filling the courtroom for anyone who has upcoming court dates. YASP can also provide support by helping young people find jobs, school programs, and housing. The hubs are every Tuesday from 4:30-6:30, at 924 Cherry Street, 5th Floor.
Help YASP help our communities for the better. We all have a voice, let’s use them to better the future.
