Systems Change Work
FLY’s systems change work improves systems, policies, & practices, affecting youth impacted by the justice system at local & state levels.
FLY works to build youth power through coaching and skill-building to support young people in accessing decision-making spaces to promote local and state policies that:
- Divest from punitive approaches
- Reinvest in our communities
- Demand accountability for justice system harms
- Address the root causes of crime
- Dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline
Youth Policy Fellowship
The Youth Policy Fellowship is a new 10 month Jan-Oct paid Fellowship opportunity for FLY youth and alumni. Fellows will have the chance to learn about and participate in policy-making, advocacy, and community organizing while lending their unique perspectives to help influence and guide FLY’s policy priorities.
For more information contact: colin@flyprogram.org
Current Legislative Priorities
2026 I 2025 I 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021
FLY will support legislation or priority setting by state or local government agencies to effect policy and practice for the betterment of young people.
Check out Evelyn FLY Alum and Staff member
advocating for AB 2629!
In 2024, 6 of FLY’s Legislative Priorities were signed into law, including AB 1186, co-sponsored by FLY
CURRENT CO-SPONSORED BILLS
SB 1009: Community First, Detention Last Act
SB 1009 closes gaps in California’s youth detention laws by setting clearer and fairer rules for when a young person can be held in juvenile hall before their case is decided. The bill ensures detention is used only when truly necessary, gives young people a meaningful opportunity to ask the court to reconsider continued detention, and strengthens requirements so courts consider community-based support and the least restrictive options before incarceration. By promoting accountability, rehabilitation, and healthy development, SB 1009 protects California’s youth and keeps our communities safe.
AB 1886: End Endless Probation for All Act
AB 1886 builds on the End Endless Probation Act (AB 1376, 2025) by ensuring youth in California’s foster care system and youth discharged from SYTF to receive the same fair probation protections as other young people. The bill allows youth in foster care placements and exiting secure track to benefit from clear probation conditions and the opportunity to successfully exit probation after 12 months. AB 1886 promotes fairness, stability, and better outcomes for youth navigating both the child welfare and justice systems.
AB 1922: Do NO Harm Act
AB 1922 protects the health and dignity of people receiving medical care while in custody, as well as the medical professionals treating them. Currently, incarcerated patients are often shackled in hospitals, which can worsen health conditions and interfere with care. AB 1922 ends routine shackling in hospital settings while allowing medically necessary restraints with proper clinical oversight. The bill also extends these protections to youth and promotes the least restrictive approach during transportation. By prioritizing patient safety, medical judgment, and humane treatment, AB 1922 supports healthier communities while maintaining appropriate safety measures.
Coalition Membership
FLY organizes alongside community-based organizations across California to achieve our policy goals and is a proud member of several coalitions:
California Alliance for Youth and Community Justice (CAYCJ)
Alliance for Boys and Men of Color (ABMoC)
Debt Free Justice California (DFJC)
Other AdVOCAcy Priorities
Board of State and Community Corrections Advocacy
In 2022, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) began a process to revise the Juvenile Title 15 and 24 Regulations. These are the minimum standards that probation must follow when running a locked facility for youth. FLY’s youth have been actively involved since the beginning of the process, creating this report and advocating for stronger standards to protect youths’ rights to education, end the use of chemical weapons against kids, improve the quality of food and hygiene products, increase access to mental health care, and much more!
PAST ADVOCACY VICTORIES
AB 1376 (2025)
Ab1376 Ended endless probation for California youth and was signed into law in 2025, limiting the length and conditions of juvenile probation to ensure they are individualized, developmentally appropriate, and rooted in the specific needs of each youth.
AB 1186 (2024)
The REPAIR Act (Realizing Equity while Promoting Accountability and Impactful Relief) was signed into law in 2024 and ends youth restitution fines, releases uncollectible debt that is over 10 years old, eliminates wage and trust garnishment, and right-sizes financial orders.
SB 448 (2023)
The Equity for Youth in Detention Act was signed into law in 2023 and requires that youth detained in a county outside of their county of residence must receive the same consideration for the least restrictive alternatives to detention that are given to youth who are detained in their county of residence.
AB 2629 (2022)
Signed into law in 2022, this bill makes record dismissals more readily available to youth by providing additional guidance to juvenile court judges on when to grant a dismissal. This type of dismissal will allow youth access to a wider range of employment opportunities, especially those requiring a federal background check.
Reducing and eliminating youth incarceration through transitioning to a community-based system of care aimed at wrapping support around youth using a strengths-based and culturally responsive approach.
Divesting from policing to reduce system contact for individuals who can be more effectively served through reinvesting in community and public health services thereby responding to the public safety needs of all members of the community.
Aligning the age of criminal responsibility with cognitive development science that says the brain does not fully develop until the late twenties and providing more resources to young adults during this vulnerable transition time.
Eliminating justice system policies and practices that create and perpetuate poverty, inequity, and lack of access to civic engagement.
Reforming school policies and practices that perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline and creating equitable pathways to post-secondary education for youth impacted by the justice system.
educational articles
Take ACtion
You can take action to advance youth justice! You can support and advocate for change in many ways.
Sharing information to raise awareness
Calling your local representative
Making public comments at the local or state level
Contact for more information
For more information, email systemschange@flyprogram.org