Invite your organization to cosponsor "Día de la Juventud." By cosponsoring, your organization will be sending a strong message to policymakers that you want action to improve justice for Latino/a youth in the justice system.

Get the cosponsor form here (pdf).

Endorse the national and state sign-on letter calling for action on behalf of Latino and Latina youth in the justice system.

Read the organizational sign-on letter here. (pdf)

To include your organization in the sign-on letter, contact Michael Umpierre at umpierre@erols.com or 202-637-0377 x 119.

Sign on and circulate the national petition. The petition is a great way to reach out to community members and contacts in your network to urge their participation in taking action! The petition will be presented to national and state policymakers.

Click here to sign on: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/dia/petition.html

Contact the media and encourage them to cover stories of Latino/a youth in the justice system.

For suggestions on contacting the press:
http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/latino_rpt/act_pk_cntc_media.html

For a sample press release:
http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/latino_rpt/act_pk_smpl_press_rel.html

Invite youth, parents and their families involved with the juvenile justice system to share their stories.

For ideas on this, call Michael Umpierre at the Youth Law Center offices at 202/637-0377 ext. 119 or by email at: umpierre@erols.com

Encourage your networks to call on state and congressional legislators to take action!

For a sample letter:
http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/dia/index.html#involved

To contact state legislators:
http://www.ncsl.org/public/leglinks.cfm

To contact congressional representatives:

House:
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.html

Senate:
http://www.senate.gov/

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus recently sponsored a "Día de los Ninos" on April 30th and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators passed a resolution calling for action on behalf of Latino and Latina youth in the justice system.

For a list of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus members:
http://rodriguez.house.gov/

For a list of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators:
http://www.nhcsl.com/en/gv/home/index.asp

To obtain the statement on the CHC's "Día de los Niños" visit:
http://rodriguez.house.gov/news/record.asp?id=398

Check out the "Día de la Juventud" Action Packet for suggestions such as:

• Sponsoring a community visit to a local juvenile correctional facility
• Hosting a community meeting
• Contacting your public officials to share your concerns

To obtain the "Día" Action Packet:
http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/dia/index.html#involved

To obtain the "Día" Flyer:
http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/dia/dia_flyer.pdf

Check out this resource:
http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/latino_rpt/act_pk_main.html

Call Michael Umpierre for support and technical assistance!

Michael can be reached at the Youth Law Center offices at 202/637-0377 ext. 119 or at umpierre@erols.com