CFSY’s Catherine Jones & Ghani Songster joined Crime Survivors Speak in Montgomery for Survivors Speak Alabama. On the steps of the Alabama State Capitol, survivors urged lawmakers to expand victim compensation & open the state’s first trauma recovery center.

At 17, they gave him a life sentence. After 25 years, he's giving young people a chance at life: 🤝 Interrupting violence on Baltimore’s Stop The Beef team. 📚 Mentoring youth in schools & writing books. ❤️ Being a leader, a husband, a son, and a role model. This is redemption.

Good news! In Hawai'i, the Senate Committee on Judiciary just voted YES on SB 2325, a critical bill to ensure people sentenced as children have a meaningful second chance.

We had our first call of the year with members of the Incarcerated Children's Advocacy Network (ICAN) and, as always, heard many pieces of wisdom 💛

CFSY’s Eddie Ellis will be a part of a panel discussion with fellow juvenile justice expert Professor Kristin Henning, Senator @willcsmithjr.bsky.social, moderated by @sentencingproject.bsky.social's Olinda Moyd, to discuss Maryland's current process of automatically charging children as adults.

How often do decision makers step into the shoes of system-impacted children? That's what the Children's Rights Summit in New York asked leaders to do through a powerful simulation co-created with youth who have experienced incarceration and other systems of housing, healthcare, and welfare.

Rob and Michele Reiner built a legacy grounded in storytelling, compassion, and unwavering advocacy for others. After seeing a play about Nanon Williams, who was sentenced to death at 17, they formed a deep bond and came to embrace him as family.

Happy Black History Month! This year marks a century of Black history commemorations. At CFSY, we celebrate the historical figures and living legends who are confronting our past to build a more just and joyful future for Black children around the world. 🖤

“When we heard the decision in Montgomery v. Louisiana was coming down, the entire prison campus was glued to the TV. We were afraid. We were excited. We were finally hopeful.

“After being sentenced to the death penalty at the age of 17, my life felt over before it ever really began. Years later, when the Supreme Court struck down the death penalty for children, some of that weight lifted. But I would only be resentenced to life without parole.

On this tenth anniversary, youth justice advocates reflect not only on the ruling that bears his name, but also on the 79-year-old man at the center of it: Henry Montgomery.

Ten years ago, the Supreme Court's decision in Montgomery v. Louisiana gave hope to thousands of individuals who were sentenced as children. Read our new report examining the impact of this landmark decision here: cfsy.org/media-resour...

NEW REPORT RELEASE: A Decade After Montgomery v. Louisiana: Progress, Gaps, and the Promise of Meaningful Review for Children Serving Extreme Sentences. Read it here: cfsy.org/media-resour...

As Director of Transitions for Entry Points, ICAN member Kyle Daniel-Bey is harnessing the power of art and storytelling to support people who were sentenced to life as children as they navigate their reentry journeys.

CFSY’s Eric Alexander hosted a Civil Rights Seminar where participants were asked to explore the legacy of slavery, its enduring influence on today’s punishment-based legal system, and how communities can use restorative justice practices to dismantle these systems of control.

At CFSY, we just have to look around the room to see what’s possible for ending extreme sentences for children. Nine of our staff members were once children sentenced to prison. Today, they are the visionary leaders driving our movement forward.

In November, we had the honor of welcoming over 350 community members, supporters, and loved ones to our second Freedom Celebration in Philadelphia. www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0Bm...

As we look toward 2026, we're filled with inspiration from the Incarcerated Children's Advocacy Network (ICAN). During our final community call of 2025, we asked our members—all of whom were sentenced as children and are now free—what they are looking forward to in the new year.

As this year comes to an end, we’re reflecting on a season powered by resilience, restoration, and community. Together, we’re proving what’s possible when directly impacted leadership, second chances, and community care guide the work.

We know that freedom means having the power to express, create, and heal. For many of our community members, art is a source of hope and connection during and after incarceration.

Give a gift today! www.cfsy.org/donate

Up to 90% of justice-involved youth have experienced significant trauma, which impacts brain development. Extreme sentences suggest the impacts are permanent but the science is clear:

Every day, we get to witness transformation, healing, and the power of redemption. And it’s all thanks to our community support, time, and extraordinary generosity. On this global day of giving, we hope you will consider making a gift to the CFSY.

Children once told they’d die in prison are now leaders, healers & advocates. ICAN members are coming home with a commitment to give back. As Eddie Ellis says: “What we take, we should plant.” Our Freedom Celebration was restorative justice in action. imprintnews.org/top-stories/...

Can restorative justice address serious harm committed by young people? Join us on 12/2 for a discussion that will examine this question and offer considerations for bringing restorative justice to your community. Register: www.mobilize.us/crimesurvivo...

At our Freedom Celebration, we honored CFSY’s Co-Founder Bryan Stevenson, whose pursuit of justice has transformed how our nation treats children in the legal system. His advocacy opened the door to freedom for hundreds who were told as kids they would die behind bars www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh0P...

We held our Freedom Celebration in Philly this week and are holding tremendous gratitude for everyone who made this celebration possible. It was full of connection, reflection, excursions, and dancing. A special thanks to our partners at the Tow Foundation and to our Philadelphia community! 💛

Last month, we hosted our first-ever Survivors' Retreat, a gathering dedicated to individuals who have lost loved ones or been directly impacted by youth violence. Over 30 new and long-time members of our community came together, forging a bond over just a few days.

The CFSY is seeking a purpose-driven individual to join our Board of Directors! We welcome candidates with professional experience in finance, accounting, or auditing who are committed to advancing justice and second chances.

A powerful new study in the Journal of Criminal Justice, "Incarcerated as a child, reentering as an adult," details the immense challenges life-sentenced children face upon release, from navigating a world transformed by technology to rebuilding family relationships and more.

After losing her brother to youth violence, Becky Kling Feldman embarked on a journey through grief, outrage, accountability, and finally, peace. 25 years later, she had a message for the individual responsible for her brother's death: "I'm rooting for you." baltimorebrew.com/2025/09/08/t...

Our coalition met with 30+ congressional offices this week to defend IRAA, a proven second-chance law for youth in DC. This isn't a partisan fight. IRAA is based on GOP-led reforms & makes our communities SAFER. Take action now: representjustice.quorum.us/campaign/iraa/

Last week, our Legal & Policy team we're in Detroit for the Second Look Network Conference and in Lansing to meet with state legislators. They had the opportunity to host an ICAN & NFN gathering, creating a space to connect, share updates, and look at the work ahead in Michigan.

URGENT: A House bill repealing DC's successful youth sentencing reforms has passed committee and awaits a full vote. Now, a companion bill has been filed in the Senate. We need your help. Tell your Senator to vote NO and protect redemption. representjustice.quorum.us/campaign/iraa/

R Street outlines evidence that trying and sentencing children as adults would increase costs without increasing public safety. Across the political spectrum, groups are urging Congress to vote no on current proposals to reverse progress in DC.

Our partners at the Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project (YASP), have released a groundbreaking report about Philadelphia's first ever youth-focused restorative justice diversion program. Discover how healing, accountability, and redemption can transform lives: www.yasproject.com/art/healing-...

Now that H.R. 5242 has passed out of the House Oversight Committee, IRAA continues to be at risk of being appealed. We need your help - tell your representative to protect second chances for kids in DC and vote no on H.R. 5242: representjustice.quorum.us/campaign/iraa

Make the calls today!

🚨 URGENT 🚨 HAPPENING TODAY: This morning, Wednesday 9/10, the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will decide the future of DC's Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA) and other life-changing second chance laws.

The Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act is good policy Research shows that teens are more reward sensitive, more impulsive, more influenced by peers, less able to regulate their emotions & are capable of change Please vote no on the repeal #NoChildBornBad @thecfsy.bsky.social @pelosi.house.gov

ACTION ALERT! ⚠️ Tomorrow morning, the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will decide the future of Washington, DC’s second chance laws, including the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA), which has been lifesaving for many on a road to redemption.

CFSY's Angel Alejandro marks his 6th Freedom Anniversary after surviving 21 ½ years in federal prison for a crime he committed at just 15 years old. Reflecting on his journey, Angel shares: "Growing up is hard, but growing up inside a United States Penitentiary is soul-crushing.

In a powerful panel at this years NCSL Legislative Summit, CFSY's Donnell Drinks shared how restorative justice is working outside of the traditional legal system to address harm at its root while creating space for reconciliation and healing.

The past few weeks have presented a critical opportunity to champion D.C’s landmark youth justice laws, and we’re proud to share how CFSY’s Co-Director of Outreach and Member Services, Eddie Ellis, has done exactly that in the @washingtonpost.com

Second-look laws provide a chance for people who went to prison as children to show they are ready to safely return home. In DC, IRAA has empowered people to give back to their communities as youth mentors and violence interrupters. Read more in @washingtonpost

In the @washingtonpost.com, CFSY’s Eddie Ellis explains how D.C.’s second-look youth sentencing laws make us all safer. “Many of the beneficiaries of second-chance laws have gone on to help prevent the very crimes that once defined our lives,” writes Eddie.

Montgomery v. Alabama brought hope to thousands of individuals who were sentenced to life without parole as children. But for many of those still serving JLWOP, "parole eligibility" is little more than an empty promise, reports @courthousenews.bsky.social

While there, they met with community partners and hosted an info session at Moose Lake Correctional Center on the state’s new parole review process — and the doors it’s opening for release and second chances.

This weekend, the CFSY’s Executive Director, Xavier McElrath-Bey, was the keynote speaker at the inaugural Youth Justice Summit! A special thanks to the honorable judge, Caryln Hicks, from Hinds County, who made this special opportunity possible.