Michigan Center for Youth Justice

What Michigan Center for Youth Justice does

Michigan Center for Youth Justice (MCYJ) is a Michigan-based 501c3 non-profit policy advocacy organization dedicated to advancing policies and practices that reduce confinement and expand trauma-informed, racially equitable, community-based solutions for justice-involved children, youth, and young adults. Founded in 1956 as the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency and rebranded in January 2020, MCYJ has been a leading architect of Michigan's juvenile justice reforms, including Raise the Age (2019), Clean Slate for Kids (2021), and the Justice for Kids and Communities legislative package (December 2023). The organization serves state-level stakeholders, including legislators, courts, county agencies, directly impacted youth and families, and philanthropic partners, and operates the Voices of Justice Fellowship, The Table podcast, an extensive publication library (Fineless Futures, Locked Up Too Long, Closing the Gate), and convenes events such as the School Justice Conference and Forum on Juvenile Justice Reform.

MCYJ has no technology product and does not provide direct services to youth or families; its primary outputs are policy advocacy, coalition leadership, research publications, and public education. In May 2025 the organization received a $1,000,000 grant from the Public Welfare Foundation to lead a statewide implementation coalition with Wayne State University Center for Behavioral Health and Justice and The Delta Project under the IGNITING FUTURES initiative. It is led by Executive Director Jason Smith with a small staff (1-10 employees) headquartered at 3810 Packard Rd., Suite 200A, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Revenue mechanics are entirely philanthropic: MCYJ accepts public donations (it is a 501c3, EIN 38-2108273) and project-specific grants, with no fees charged for services. Major historical funding partners include the Public Welfare Foundation and McGregor Fund, and the organization has held service contracts with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for prior initiatives. Its go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, combining coalition building, legislative advocacy mobilization, youth and family engagement, and earned media coverage in outlets such as Michigan Radio, Bridge Michigan, Detroit Free Press, and ProPublica.

Name

Michigan Center for Youth Justice

Legal name

Michigan Center for Youth Justice

Website

https://miyouthjustice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Michigan Center for Youth Justice is a 501c3 non-profit policy advocacy organization advancing reforms that reduce confinement for justice-involved youth across Michigan through legislative advocacy, coalition building, research, and youth and family engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Juvenile Justice Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (611710), Parole Offices and Probation Offices (92215)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAAAG

Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief

SECONDARYBPAIAFAE

Community Corrections (Probation, Parole & Reentry)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Justice System (Courts, Prosecution & Corrections)

SECONDARYEDAJAEAB

Juvenile Justice Education Programs (Detention & Correctional Education)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Alternative & At-Risk K–12 Education (Continuation, Recovery, Juvenile)

Keywords

• Juvenile justice advocacy
• Youth justice policy
• Policy reform coalition
• Youth fellowship programs
• Community-based alternatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: MCYJ is a 501c3 nonprofit organization (EIN: 38-2108273) that relies on public donations to support operations and mission activities.
2. Grants: MCYJ received a $1 million grant from the Public Welfare Foundation to lead a statewide coalition focused on building upon historic 2023 Justice for Kids and Communities reforms. Additional grants support specific initiatives including the Advancing Justice project.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MCYJ is a nonprofit policy advocacy organization that advances juvenile justice reform in Michigan through legislative advocacy, coalition building, research and publications, youth and family engagement programs, and public education. It delivers the Voices of Justice Fellowship for directly impacted youth and families, publishes policy research reports, produces The Table podcast, and convenes statewide events and forums to drive trauma-informed, racially equitable, community-based alternatives to youth confinement.

Product overview

Michigan Center for Youth Justice (MCYJ) is a non-profit policy advocacy organization dedicated to advancing juvenile justice reform in Michigan. The organization does not offer a technology product platform but instead provides advocacy services, educational resources, publications, podcasts, youth fellowship programs, and training events focused on reducing confinement and supporting trauma-informed, racially equitable, community-based solutions for justice-involved youth. Key offerings include the "The Table: Conversations on Youth Justice" podcast, the Voices of Justice Fellowship program, policy advocacy campaigns, and published research reports on juvenile justice issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Voices of Justice Fellowship Program A year-long fellowship program designed to empower youth and families with direct or indirect involvement in the juvenile justice system, co-administered with the Walker Institute at Western Michigan University. The second cohort of Juvenile Justice Fellows was supported through the partnership.
• The Table: Conversations on Youth Justice Podcast A seasonal podcast series discussing current juvenile justice issues, MCYJ reports, and featuring guests. Distributed through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.
• Juvenile Justice Research and Policy Publications A library of original research reports and policy frameworks on Michigan youth incarceration, racial equity, and community-based alternatives, including the 2025 Fineless Futures report, 2022 Locked Up Too Long report, 2022 Closing the Gate anti-racist framework, Debt Free Justice Guidebook, COVID-19 impact analysis, and historical research on youth incarceration dating to 2013.

Quantifiable outcome

• Justice for Kids and Communities legislative package signed December 2023: eliminated court-imposed fines and fees, strengthened oversight, expanded diversion and community-based responses
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wayne State University Center for Behavioral Health and JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2024Co-lead of the Michigan statewide coalition with MCYJ to implement Justice for Kids and Communities reforms. The coalition leverages academic expertise and behavioral health resources alongside MCYJ's policy advocacy.
• The Delta ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2024Co-lead of the Michigan statewide coalition with MCYJ to implement Justice for Kids and Communities reforms. The Delta Project brings additional capacity and expertise to coalition efforts.
• Student Advocacy Center of MichiganminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2023Partnership for the 2023 School Justice Conference: Creating Transformative Schools. MCYJ and Student Advocacy Center co-hosted an in-person school justice conference during Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM) featuring expert panels on best practices for preventing school disruptions, honoring the whole child, and action planning.
• Walker Institute at Western Michigan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2023Partnership for the Voices of Justice Fellowship program. MCYJ partnered with the Walker Institute to provide support to the second cohort of Juvenile Justice Fellows, a year-long program designed to empower youth and families with direct or indirect involvement in the juvenile justice system.
• League of Women Voters of Washtenaw CountyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2023Partnership for the 2023 Forum on Juvenile Justice Reform. MCYJ partnered with the League to share findings from the Juvenile Justice Task Force report at a community forum featuring MCYJ Executive Director Jason Smith and University of Michigan Law Professor Kim Thomas.
• Ruth Ellis CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with MCYJ and McGregor Fund on the 2018 Advancing Justice project to support youth with diverse SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression) through listening sessions and policy training.
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCYJ was contracted by MDHHS for multiple initiatives including In-Home Community Care Grant (2015-2016) to support rural counties implementing alternatives to detention, and Michigan Juvenile Justice Continuum of Care Initiative (2016) to reduce out-of-home placement through trauma-informed services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD): NCCD is a national nonprofit research and policy organization focused on juvenile and criminal justice reform. MCYJ was originally founded as a state affiliate of NCCD (Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency), making it the most direct historical and operational peer.
• Juvenile Law Center: Philadelphia-based public interest law firm that advocates for the rights of youth in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems through impact litigation and policy advocacy. Highly comparable in mission, advocacy tools, and focus on reducing confinement.
• The Sentencing Project: National research and advocacy organization working to reduce incarceration and address racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Comparable as a research-driven policy advocacy nonprofit working on overlapping reform issues.
• National Center for Youth Law: California-based nonprofit that uses legal advocacy and policy reform to improve outcomes for system-involved youth. Comparable scope: advocacy for foster care, juvenile justice, and immigration systems affecting young people.
• Campaign for Youth Justice: National advocacy organization dedicated to ending the practice of trying, sentencing, and incarcerating youth under 18 in the adult criminal justice system. Directly comparable in juvenile justice policy reform mission.
• Justice Policy Institute: Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that changes the conversation around justice by promoting policy reform to reduce incarceration and promote community-based alternatives. Similar model: research, policy advocacy, and reform communications.
• Tennessee Youth Justice Alliance: Tennessee's primary statewide juvenile justice reform coalition, which received the other Public Welfare Foundation IGNITING FUTURES grant alongside MCYJ. Most structurally and operationally comparable state-level peer.

Emerging players

• Texas Appleseed: Texas-based public interest law and advocacy organization addressing juvenile justice and other inequities. State-level peer with analogous legislative advocacy and community-based reform focus, though broader than juvenile justice.

Broad incumbents

• Annie E. Casey Foundation: Major national philanthropy focused on child welfare, juvenile justice reform, and improving outcomes for vulnerable children. Both a funder of state-level reform efforts and a thought leader shaping the field MCYJ operates in.
• Vera Institute of Justice: National research and policy organization advancing justice reform, including a significant juvenile justice program. Larger organization with comparable policy research and reform-advocacy mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/miyouthjustice
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCD3q-oMjYfWecnerloB3XsA
• Facebookfacebook.com/miyouthjustice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michigan-center-for-youth-justice
• Instagraminstagram.com/mi.youthjustice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Michigan Center for Youth Justice