Ontario Justice Education Network sought to demystify legal system for those aged 14–29
The Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) has shared that its public legal education and information for racialized youth program concluded last month, after finishing its four-year cycle of funding from the federal justice department’s justice partnerships and innovation program.
Through interactive, dialogue-based sessions, the program aimed to demystify the legal system for those who might perceive it as intimidating and inaccessible. According to OJEN, the program equipped participants with:
“We want youth to reflect on how legal life skills can apply to their real lives and feel empowered to apply what they’ve learned when faced with legal challenges,” said Kassandra Thompson, OJEN’s program manager, in a news release.
The program sought to help participants make informed decisions about potential legal issues and become more confident about their futures, including after release from custody.
“We engage young people directly and make sure the program reflects their realities,” said Enisoné Kadiri, OJEN’s director of outreach programs, in the news release. “We also share information about the legal system honestly, while encouraging youth to think critically about how it could work better for them.”
While linking up with legal, community, and justice sector professionals, participants could share their perspectives, ask questions, dispel misconceptions about the justice system, and grow their support networks.
“By creating a space where youth feel heard and taken seriously by justice and community professionals, they gain the confidence to engage with justice-sector professionals in the future,” Thompson said in OJEN’s news release.
Established in 2023, the program catered to those aged 14–29 who identified as African, Caribbean, Black, and Indigenous and resided primarily in the province’s urban areas.
OJEN designed the program to be youth-centric, culturally relevant, and responsive to the needs, experiences, and priorities of young people.
Last year, in response to requests from program partners and input from the project’s youth leadership team (YLT), OJEN adapted the program to racialized, justice-involved youth, including those in custody.
YLT members and local youth project officers (YPO) in custody provided feedback that helped shape the program’s content.
To deliver the multi-session program across Ontario, OJEN collaborated with schools, community organizations, after-school programs, and youth justice facilities.
Throughout 2025, OJEN delivered 12 program sessions to 100 youth participants in open and closed custody and in one diversion program. These sessions spanned Ottawa, Brampton, Scarborough, West Toronto, and Petersburg/Waterloo.
