About the Youth & Justice Forum
About The Y & J Forum
All youth in Clark County can benefit from an event like the Forum, whose aim is to build mutual trust and respect between cops, kids, and the community. Historical concerns about over-policing in minority communities, police misconduct, controversies surrounding the officer-involved deaths of unarmed African-American men, and Las Vegas Metro’s experience with U.S. Department of Justice evaluations of its operations prompted organizers to focus on educating youth in minority and underserved communities. Research validates the crime-reducing impact of constructive relationships between cops and the communities they serve, thus giving the Forum even greater importance.
Locally, minority youth are overrepresented in terms of contact with police and in
the juvenile justice system. Nearly 7,000 youth were referred to juvenile
probation/detention in 2024, according to the Clark County Department of
Juvenile Justice Services Statistics Report, with Black and Hispanic youth
comprising 65 percent of referrals. The report recommends service-oriented
and education programs as one of the diversionary tactics for justice-involved
youth. Research into youth contact with law enforcement notes that many young
people are detained or arrested for minor infractions, and that such contact with
the justice system can lead to a higher probability of criminal activity and a
negative perception of police.
The Uplift Foundation of Nevada’s core areas of civic engagement are: College Scholarships, Young Male Mentoring, Philanthropy and Youth Advocacy and Development. Through collaboration and innovation, Uplift has positively impacted the lives of more than 8,000 youth and adults since 2003. (Click the logo above for more information)
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