Transformative Justice Project of Colorado

The Transformative Justice Project of Colorado is now a partner with Food Bank of the Rockies and we will have our Summer Food Service Program every Wednesday at the TJP offices for our youth and families.

This program is being offered in addition to Tony's Food Pantry which allows our youth and families to schedule drop-ins to shop for food, toiletries, diapers, wipes, and more!

On May 12, close to 150 people filled Cuba Cuba Denver for Ritmo y Resistencia — and we are still feeling the love!

Together, you helped us raise over $55,000 to support system-impacted youth across Colorado. That’s more than double what we raised just two years ago. This community doesn’t just show up. It shows out.

Thank you for bidding, paddle-raising, dancing, and taking the time to learn about TJP. Whether you’ve been with us for years or this was your first introduction — we are so grateful you were in that room!

A huge thank you to our partners:
🏠 — for opening your beautiful space
📸 — for the photo booth joy
🎙️ — for flawless A/V all night
🎵 Son Tres — for music we could dance to
🧡 Our Board of Directors — for your hands, hearts, and hustle

Keep the momentum going!
👉 Take our 2-minute feedback survey (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9MFiLZoUHdomBrsCREsx0WIvsymIEKJUVsOol0q8pEN_qKw/viewform)
👉 Didn’t get to join us? It’s never too late to make a gift! (https://app.galabid.com/ritmoyresistencia/items/57301047-11b5-4f2f-b1f8-dbf26232f5ea?backPath=%2Fritmoyresistencia%2Fitems&from=57301047-11b5-4f2f-b1f8-dbf26232f5ea)
👉 Save the date for Loteria this October

We’re already dreaming about next year. Ritmo y Resistencia 2027 is coming.

Our new, and incredibly creative board member, Lauren Moon, had the idea to build out this amazing listening station — MP3 players loaded with real stories from our young people, ready for you to plug in and hear TONIGHT (that’s Tuesday, May 12!) at Ritmo y Resistencia.

Sit down. Put on the headphones. Listen.
You’ll hear directly from the young people impacted by this work — in their own words, anonymously — about what TJP has meant to them. It is the most important thing in the room.

A massive thank you to Loren for this brilliant idea, our incredible TJP kids for sharing their stories, and to Jehu Gonzalez for his editing magic and helping bring this to life. We are so grateful. 🧡

Doors open at 6:00 PM tonight at Cuba Cuba Denver. Don’t miss it.

(Oh - and folx have asked! The dress code is salsa inspired cocktail! 💃🏽)

REMINDER: This event is SOLD OUT. If you didn't snag tickets this year, we hope you will join us in October for Loteria -- and keep this on the calendar for next year!

Over 150 people are joining us for Ritmo y Resistencia next Tuesday — and we are officially SOLD OUT!

But you don't need a ticket to be part of this night.

Our silent auction is LIVE and open to everyone. 22 incredible packages — one-of-a-kind Denver experiences, Napa Valley wine, local art and fashion, sports, food, and so much more — all up for bid right now.

Link to auction here: https://app.galabid.com/ritmoyresistencia/items

Auction closes at 7:30 PM on May 12.

Every dollar raised goes directly to the incredible young people we get to work with every single day. 🧡

Joining us in person? Don't miss our listening stations — sit down, put on the headphones, and hear directly from our youth about their experiences and the impact TJP has had on their lives. It's the most important thing in the room.

Live music. Salsa dancing. Open bar. Passed appetizers. Photo booth. Joy. And a community that shows up for young people. We hope to see you there!

Link to purchase: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/tjps-2nd-annual-ritmo-y-resistenciaLive

We just hit 125 confirmed guests for Ritmo y Resistencia — and we only have 25 tickets left!

If you've been thinking about joining us on May 12 at Cuba Cuba Denver, now is the time. Live music, salsa dancing, open bar, passed appetizers, silent auction, and a community that shows up for young people. 21+.

We also want to give a shout out and huge thank you to our newest sponsors — CGH Injury Lawyers and Colorado Center for Law and Policy. We are so grateful for your partnership and your commitment to our community-- and can't wait to celebrate with you!

Tickets available here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/tjps-2nd-annual-ritmo-y-resistencia — only 25 remain!

The PO who writes the violation report. The DA who files it. The judge who rules on it. Each is making a discretionary decision. Discretion in a racist system is not neutral. It is a vector.

The racism that shaped the origins of juvenile probation didn't stay in the past. It got embedded in the roles, the practices, and the people we trust to make decisions about young people's lives. It is alive and present in every courtroom, every violation report, every revocation hearing.

We cannot change what we refuse to name.

Miss our presentation last week? Tiera Brown and Erin Pier presented "When Compliance Isn't Possible" at the Excellence in Youth Defense Conference — and the content is worth sharing! Over the next week, we'll be breaking down what the juvenile probation system actually demands of young people, where it came from, and why it so often sets them up to fail. Stay tuned.

A note on language: at TJP we don't use the word "juvenile" — it's dehumanizing. We use it here only for historical and legal context.

We are so grateful for the opportunity to present and co-sponsor at the 2026 Excellence in Youth Defense virtual conference!

Thank you to our co-sponsors: the Colorado State Public Defender, the Colorado Office of the Child’s Representative, and the Colorado Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel. We are honored to share community with you.

Today TJP presented on compliance — what that word actually means, who it was designed for, and what lies beneath the tip of the iceberg for every young person labeled “noncompliant.” We talked about how attorneys and community partners can advocate for realistic conditions, how storytelling can be a powerful tool in the courtroom, and why every young person has the right to know their rights before they ever sit across from a probation officer.

We’ll be sharing more from our presentation in an upcoming carousel — so stay tuned. And if you were in the room today and want to keep the conversation going, or if you want to learn more about TJP’s work with system-impacted youth, reach out. We’d love to connect.

We are beyond grateful to our Presenting Sponsor, The Keller Family.

This sponsorship is personal to us, as Victoria Dorn and her family have believed in TJP from the very beginning — Victoria served as one of our original board members during our transition from CJDC to TJP, and her family's continued investment in this work means the world to us. Though she no longer sits on our board, we still turn to her often for her wisdom and expertise as a brilliant criminal defense attorney.

Her family's continued support sustains our mission to support youth impacted by system harm, and challenge the criminalization of historically oppressed communities. Thank you, Keller Family, for standing with us in the fight for liberation.

We are so honored to have you with us at Ritmo y Resistencia. 🎶

🎟️ Tickets available here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/tjps-2nd-annual-ritmo-y-resistencia