October marks Youth Justice Action Month (YJAM)—a nationwide initiative dedicated to raising awareness about the challenges facing young people in the justice system, while promoting approaches that support healing, opportunity, and positive growth. This year, our library is taking part as a partner with Read for Youth Justice (https://www.readforyouthjustice.org/), a national initiative built on a simple notion: every story deserves a chance to be read.

Read for Youth Justice invites libraries to lift up the experiences of young people in the justice system—and what they need in order to grow and thrive. Libraries are part of the solution precisely because we are grounded in the belief that every person deserves access to knowledge, opportunity, and belonging. For a young person who has been involved with the justice system, a library can offer something rare: a public space that sees them as more than a stereotype or a past mistake.

That work matters because so much of the juvenile justice system operates out of public view. Court proceedings, facilities, and records are typically kept confidential which are protections intended to give young people the chance to recover from mistakes without carrying the stigma for life. One consequence, though, is that most of us know very little about how the juvenile justice system actually works and how it impacts young people. Surveys also find that many adults believe youth crime is rising, even though national data from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention show that arrests of young people have declined significantly over the past two decades. Books and storytelling help close that gap between perception and reality by building empathy, reducing stigma, and strengthening communities rooted in understanding and hope.

This month, we invite you to explore the reading list on Read for Youth Justice, developed in collaboration with youth justice stakeholders across the country. The collection features titles that examine youth justice, incarceration, restorative practices, and the lived experiences of impacted young people, in a mix of fiction and nonfiction. Some are written by people who were incarcerated as youth; others by leading voices in law, education, and child development. Many are written for young adults, making them especially powerful for intergenerational reading and discussion.

Featured Titles

• The Rage of Innocence by Kristin Henning

• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

• Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam

Through these stories, readers gain insight into the complexities of the justice system and into the resilience, creativity, and humanity of the young people most affected by it.

Ways to Take Part This October

• Borrow a book. Visit the display near [LOCATION] and check out a title from the collection—every checkout signals that these stories belong on our shelves.

• Join the conversation. We are hosting [EVENT NAME] on [DATE] at [TIME]—a [panel discussion / read-aloud / author talk / community circle] open to all ages.

• Watch or listen together. Read for Youth Justice also maintains a film and podcast list for 2026; ask at the desk about our screening of [TITLE].

• Defend the freedom to read. Several titles in this collection have faced challenges elsewhere. Supporting their place in a public collection is part of the campaign’s call to action.

Read for Youth Justice describes this as moving from reading to action—connecting communities with books, with resources, and with one another. We invite you to browse the collection, join the conversation, and reflect on how we can all contribute to a more compassionate and informed community.