Our Values aren’t Changing - and they won’t

A Message from YSRP’s Executive Director, Bianca van Heydoorn

March 2025

At the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project, our commitment to justice has never wavered—and it never will. We know that the criminal legal system is rooted in a legacy of slavery and white supremacy, and that it continues to cause deep harm to Black people and other communities of color. We exist to redress that harm, to achieve racial justice by being anti-racist and building inclusivity.

As we witness growing attacks on racial justice initiatives and efforts to erase the truth about systemic racism, we want to make something very clear: YSRP’s values are not changing.

While we do not currently receive federal funding, our work has never been dictated by politics or fear. We remain unwavering in our commitment to centering the voices of those most impacted by incarceration and to challenging the structures that uphold oppression.

For over a decade, YSRP has fought alongside our client-partners and their families, working to secure their freedom and create pathways for healing. 

This work requires us to confront injustice at its root—to name it, to resist it, and to build something better in its place. We will continue to do that, regardless of any political climate that seeks to silence these truths.

Justice requires courage. It requires honesty. It requires all of us to stand firm in our values, even when they are under attack. As we continue this work, we are grateful for your steadfast support. We hope you will stand with us, speak out where you can, and continue to invest in a future where every person is treated with dignity and humanity.

Thank you for being part of this fight.