Project NIA — “nia” meaning “with purpose” in Swahili—is a grassroots organization that works to end the arrest, detention, and incarceration of children and young adults by promoting restorative and transformative justice practices.
We support youth in trouble with the law as well as those victimized by violence and crime through community-based alternatives to the criminal legal process. We partner with local activists and organizations to create such alternatives.
We believe we can transform harm into healing by building connections and opportunities in our communities. Through education, research, and advocacy, we create avenues to address harm productively, rather than relying on the police and criminal legal system. For the past 10 years, we have offered over 200 community workshops about juvenile justice and the prison industrial complex and published dozens of educational curricula on how to better address harm in our communities. Because young people should never end up behind bars.