Alliance for Youth Justice

The Alliance for Youth Justice (AYJ) is a UK-based nonprofit organisation dedicated to improving the youth justice system in England and Wales. Registered as a charity under number 1207777, the AYJ brings together over 75 member organisations — including large national charities, advocacy groups, and smaller grassroots and community organisations — to advocate for and alongside children and young people involved in or at risk of entering the youth justice system[1].

Vision and Mission

AYJ envisions a society that promotes social justice and enables all children to reach their full potential. Its mission focuses on advocating for positive change within the youth justice system to benefit children, young people, and society more broadly[2].

Objectives and Activities

The Alliance for Youth Justice pursues its goals through various key activities:

• Increasing understanding and knowledge about the underlying causes leading children to enter the criminal justice system by providing research, education, training, and advice to relevant agencies[2].
• Promoting and advocating for the human rights of children at risk of or involved in the youth justice system, while monitoring compliance with these standards to ensure a child-focused and rights-respecting system[2].
• Challenging all forms of discrimination affecting these children, recognising the personal and structural disadvantages they face and the need for fair treatment throughout their lives[2].
• Advocating for child-centred approaches that focus on positive long-term outcomes and enabling children to reach their full potential[2].
• Working to reduce the criminalisation of children and aiming to end child imprisonment by promoting diversion from formal criminal proceedings and reserving deprivation of liberty as a last resort[2].
• Facilitating meaningful participation by children, young people, and the organisations supporting them in policy influence and decision-making processes[2].

Values

The Alliance operates based on core values that underpin all its work and relationships, including respect for children and young people, collaboration with member organisations and partners, and a commitment to social justice principles[2].

Charity Registration and Status

The AYJ is a recently registered charity in England and Wales. Its declared charitable purpose is the prevention of crime by supporting the youth justice system in its principal aim of preventing offending by children and young people. As a new charity, it has not yet been required to submit annual accounts or returns[3][4].

Membership and Partnerships

The Alliance unites a diverse coalition of organisations to leverage collective expertise and influence. Among its members are notable groups such as the National Association for Youth Justice (NAYJ), which is dedicated to campaigning for the rights and welfare of children in trouble with the law[5].

The Alliance for Youth Justice plays a crucial role in shaping a fairer, more effective youth justice system in England and Wales, grounded in human rights and focused on the wellbeing and potential of children and young people.

[1] https://www.ayj.org.uk [2] https://www.ayj.org.uk/about-the-ayj [3] https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/about-the-register-of-charities/-/charity-details/5230144/full-print [4] https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/sector-data/top-10-charities/-/charity-details/5230144/what-who-how-where [5] https://thenayj.org.uk