Building a youth-led movement to keep young people out of the adult criminal justice system

•The Youth Art and Self-empowerment Project (YASP) was created by young people.•Members include young people recently released from jail and prison.•YASP has young people working as staff and has developed a strong base of support.•YASP is building a youth-led movement to reform juvenile transfer laws.•YASP has developed authentic youth leadership through an innovative model.

Through the lens of the Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project (YASP), this article explores the impact that the adult criminal justice system has on young people and how young men and women in Philadelphia are organizing to challenge that system. YASP has developed an innovative model for supporting and training young people in Philadelphia's adult jails and recently released from the adult jails to build a youth-led movement to repeal adult transfer laws in Pennsylvania. Through stories of personal experience and collective struggle, this chapter illustrates the power of young people taking back control of their city, their state, and their own destinies.