Our Programs
Systems are designed to push young people—especially Black and Brown youth and youth with disabilities—from schools into courts and from courts into cycles of barriers. TJP disrupts that pipeline at every point: preventing unjust school discipline, educating youth about their rights, providing holistic support during system involvement, and clearing records to remove future obstacles. Our four programs work together to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline while empowering young people to define their own stories.
Community Cares
Community Cares walks alongside system-impacted youth ages 10-25 as they navigate the legal system. We provide decolonized mental health services (counseling, crisis intervention, support groups), legal and education advocacy, court accompaniment, transportation to court and probation, resource navigation (jobs, housing, education), and community connection through monthly Community Nights and our food pantry.
We don’t just provide services—we build relationships and meet young people where they are. Community Cares provides whatever support youth need as they face probation requirements, school challenges, housing barriers, and all the obstacles systems create.
Education First
Education First provides legal representation and advocacy to youth facing school disciplinary actions—from suspensions and expulsions to school-based arrests. We work directly with students and families to challenge discriminatory discipline practices that disproportionately impact Black and brown youth and youth with disabilities.
Education First advocates in disciplinary hearings, collaborates with schools to uphold educational rights, and provides training to educators, parents, and students on rights and fair treatment in the education system. By intervening before discipline becomes criminalization, Education First disrupts the school-to-prison pipeline at its source.
If your child’s school has filed a Due Process Complaint against you, you may be eligible for free legal representation. Click below to learn more about your rights and eligibility.
Learn Your Rights in the Community (LYRIC)
LYRIC educates young people about their constitutional rights through workshops led by volunteer attorneys and law students. In schools, youth justice facilities, and community settings, LYRIC teaches youth how to protect themselves during police encounters—breaking down their Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights in practical, accessible ways.
Knowledge is power. When young people understand their rights, they’re better equipped to navigate systems designed to criminalize them. LYRIC volunteers receive training on constitutional rights and youth engagement to ensure workshops are both legally accurate and youth-centered.
Believe In Youth
Believe in Youth helps young people move beyond legal system involvement by clearing their records and building pathways to opportunity. A criminal record creates barriers to jobs, housing, and education—Believe in Youth removes those obstacles through record expungement and legal advocacy.
We provide free legal representation throughout the expungement process, ensuring young people’s rights are protected. Beyond clearing records, we offer job readiness training, life skills education, and community workshops to support successful reintegration. Believe in Youth is about second chances and creating futures unbound by past mistakes.