More Than Words

A big thank you to Liberty Mutual and Raffles Hotel for stepping up to support our youth-run organization this July! Your commitment and hard work are helping us create opportunities and drive positive change. We couldn’t do it without your passion and dedication. Here’s to making a lasting impact together! Raffles Hotels & Resorts Liberty Mutual Insurance

Incredible day at the State House! 🙌 Met with Senator DiDomenico who supported us with his vote, introduced MTW to Representative Schmid, reconnected with Rep. Mendes, and inspired Rep. McGonagle with PIY youth stories. Advocacy in action! 💪 Join us in making a difference and let your voice be heard! 🗣️ #StateHouseMeetings #Advocacy #MTW #RtA Sal DiDomenico Paul Schmid

We're in the final stretch to #RaiseTheAge this year! Our youth-run advocacy team is at the Massachusetts State House advocating to keep our 18-year-olds out of adult jail and move them into the juvenile justice system where they can access services and education. This proposal passed the Senate as part of the economic development bill and now we're asking the conference committee to include it in its final version! #mapoli #nothingaboutuswithoutus

Need another reason to Raise the Age? Youth need time and support as they make the complex transition to adulthood, especially those caught up in the trauma-to-prison pipeline. Nationally, some 80% of people in prison were once in foster care! Rather than pushing our 18-year-olds who have just aged out of state care into adult system we need to serve them in our juvenile system which includes developmentally appropriate education and services. The Massachusetts Senate passed language to include our 18-year-olds in the juvenile system as part of their Economic Development bill and now we need the conference committee to include it in the final version. Join the fight and contact your legislator! https://rb.gy/adeddv  #raisetheage #mapoli #traumatoprisonpipeline

Sonya Massey called the police herself for assistance because she believed she heard an intruder on her property. Instead of helping her she was callously killed by a police officer. It was a total disregard of human life. We do not have to have known Sonya to feel immensely grieved by this tragedy. And furious. These senseless murders affect all of us - including our young people who deserve opportunity not fear, violence, and racism. It is easy to feel inadequate, and for our work to feel inadequate, in the face of such oppressive violence. But we will continue to empower, communicate, educate, call-out, and do more. #BlackLivesMatter #SayHerName #BlackGirlsMatter #ItsNotEnough

Whoever said we were all work and no play? Sometimes you need to take a break from books and when it's this hot out, why not fish?! We braved the seas and made new memories while we attempted to catch a few fish. While we couldn't keep every fish we caught, we care more about keeping space for opportunities like this because no matter how choppy the seas of life are, it's moments like this that create life-long memories and connections for our young adults. And we'll keep doing it...even if we need the Dramamine! #morethanwords #fishing #youthempowerment

Whoever said we were all work and no play? Sometimes you need to take a break from books and when it's this hot out, why not fish?! We braved the seas and made new memories while we attempted to catch a few fish. While we couldn't keep every fish we caught, we care more about keeping space for opportunities like this because no matter how choppy the seas of life are, it's moments like this that create life-long memories and connections for our young adults. And we'll keep doing it...even if we need the Dramamine! #morethanwords #fishing #youthempowerment

Sonya Massey called the police herself for assistance because she believed she heard an intruder on her property. Instead of helping her she was callously killed by a police officer. It was a total disregard of human life. We do not have to have known Sonya to feel immensely grieved by this tragedy. And furious. These senseless murders affect all of us - including our young people who deserve opportunity not fear, violence, and racism. It is easy to feel inadequate, and for our work to feel inadequate, in the face of such oppressive violence. But we will continue to empower, communicate, educate, call-out, and do more. #BlackLivesMatter #SayHerName #BlackGirlsMatter #ItsNotEnough

Need another reason to Raise the Age? Youth need time and support as they make the complex transition to adulthood, especially those caught up in the trauma-to-prison pipeline. Nationally, some 80% of people in prison were once in foster care! Rather than pushing our 18-year-olds who have just aged out of state care into adult system we need to serve them in our juvenile system which includes developmentally appropriate education and services. The Massachusetts Senate passed language to include our 18-year-olds in the juvenile system as part of their Economic Development bill and now we need the conference committee to include it in the final version. Join the fight and contact your legislator! https://rb.gy/adeddv  #raisetheage #mapoli #traumatoprisonpipeline

Legislation that would move our 18-year-olds from the adult justice system to the juvenile system in Massachusetts passed in the Senate and is now being considered by the conference committee of the Economic Development bill. In this final push, hear from the teams at More Than Words and UTEC about why Raise the Age matters to them! Why Raise the Age? Youth don't belong in adult jail - not according to brain science, not according to the data. The juvenile system is more developmentally appropriate, includes access to services and education, and doesn't hamper a young person with an adult criminal record. It is more effective for the commonwealth and it is the right thing to do for our youth. Take action! Contact your state representative and ask them to ask the conference committee to include Raise the Age. It's easy to send an email through our partner Citizens for Juvenile Justice: https://lnkd.in/euKsu3U8 #mapoli #raisetheage #nothingaboutuswithoutus