Inspired by the documentary 13th, which explores race and mass incarceration in the U.S., and frustrated by the amount of youth getting caught in criminal court, four black female judges decided to create a youth prevention program. The four month program is called “Pipeline to Possibilities,” and accepts about a hundred students who get to experience mock trials, and meet with the judges.“Knowledge is power, and maybe if they knew more about the criminal justice system, they wouldn’t find themselves on that side of the bench.”

A 'restorative justice' program in Roanoke schools aims to resolve in-school conflicts using teachers and staff, rather than referring issues to law enforcement.

The deeper kids get into the court system, the more likely they are to get into bigger trouble - instead of being scared straight, they end up on what researchers call the school-to-prison pipeline. Courts in Clayton County, GA, decrease the number of juveniles that are prosecuted by starting help groups to change behavior and strengthen families, and the initiative has since spread across the country.