We all know that the justice system is broken and that there is so much that we can all do to make it better. For a long time there have been a lot of people trying to reform the justice system because we all know the system is set up to put certain people behind bars.

Most of the people who have power to make these necessary changes are people who have absolutely no idea what it’s like to struggle alone in life. Most of these people who have the power to take action have not been affected by the justice system. So how can we talk about reform if we have absolutely no clue of what the real needs are because at the end we have never been there?

Over the last couple of years, we have been able to see that there is a need for a partnership between those who have positions of power and for those who have been locked up. Since then, we have started to see organizations, corporations and government agencies claiming to work with young people to reform the system because we know that those who are closest to the problem are closest to the solution. Improving the justice system requires true collaboration and partnership between youth and those in positions of power.

[For more on this story by Michelle Diaz and Naomi Smoot, go to https://jjie.org/2018/10/01/ju...tnership-with-youth/]