Read about our clients and staff successes

Confronting the History of Mass Incarceration 

Many Black and Brown young people are navigating systems shaped by generations of economic disinvestment, housing instability, under-resourced schools, over-policing, barriers to employment, and ongoing racial inequities.

AFJ On the Move

AFJ Participants have been out and about in a big way recently. This week, we're sharing two experiences that show exactly what it looks like when we create pathways of opportunity for our young people.

How Mass Incarceration Impacts the Mental Health of Families and Communities

What happens to a community’s mental health when generations of families live with incarceration, chronic stress, economic instability, and constant exposure to trauma?

Beyond the Mandate: How Wraparound Support Can Change One Life At A Time

AFJ Participants, Joel and Carlos, came through our doors with vastly different circumstances, but they both shared tenacity, determination, and the drive to successfully complete their mandates.

AFJ Voices | Being Seen as a Threat is a Mental Health Issue

We do not talk about this dynamic with complete transparency, because it makes people uncomfortable. But it is the daily reality for many of the young people we work with at Avenues for Justice (AFJ), and it causes a form of chronic stress.

How AFJ’s HIRE Up Program Provides Access

For many teenagers in New York City and cities across America, the challenge is not a lack of drive. It is a lack of consistent access to opportunities. When that access exists, the impact tends to extend well beyond a single job or experience.

AFJ Voices | Generational Trauma in NYC Is a Mental Health Issue

When we talk about mental health most people focus on what happened to someone or how they cope. But for many Black and Brown communities, mental health cannot be understood without also looking at generational trauma.

A Letter to the Matriarchs of AFJ

For this upcoming Mother's Day, we want to honor the matriarchs of Avenues for Justice (AFJ). Not only the mothers among us, but every woman whose presence, persistence, and love have become the heartbeat of this movement as they pour back into the community.

AFJ Voices | Mental Health Awareness Month Must Address the Systems Driving a Public Health Crisis

Every May, Mental Health Awareness Month invites us to focus on access to care, stigma, and individual well-being. At Avenues for Justice (AFJ), we believe raising awareness around mental health is critical.

An Internship of Opportunity, A Summer of Impact

Next week, Avenues for Justice (AFJ) will launch our summer HIRE Up cohort and we could not be more ready! Eight weeks. Real work. Real pay. Real change. But none of it happens without the community rallying behind our AFJ Interns.

Our Power, Our Planet, Earth Day and Second Chance Month

This April, we recognize both Earth Day and Second Chance Month. For Avenues for Justice (AFJ), this overlap makes sense.

2026 HIRE Up Summer Employment Campaign

Real work. Real pay. Real experience. Eight weeks | $17 an hour | 15 hours per week. This is how a summer changes everything.

AFJ’s Tea with the ED: Twenty Years In and Our Mission Remains Steadfast

This year, I am celebrating twenty years at AFJ. I have been sitting with that number. Twenty years is a long time in this sector.

Meet Junior Board Co-Chairs, Jefferey Huang and Winston Smith, Who Lead AFJ’s Movement of Young Professionals

This week, we're spotlighting AFJ’s Junior Board Co-Chairs, Jefferey Huang and Winston Smith. In the past two years, they have cultivated a board of strong fundraisers and engaged community advocates who advance AFJ's mission.

Credible Messengers: The Voices at the Heart of Avenues for Justice’s Court Advocacy Work

While it is not a requirement for every Court Advocate to share lived experiences with the young people they mentor, there is something uniquely powerful that happens when they do. Connections are made, trust forms and walls come down faster.

Avenues for Justice Kicked off Women’s Herstory Month With A Panel of Trailblazers!

Last Thursday, Avenues for Justice (AFJ) gathered at our Harlem community center for our Women's Herstory Month panel---a powerful afternoon dedicated to celebrating voices, experiences, and leadership of women across industries and sectors.

Women’s Herstory Month: Reflecting on Women Who Built Pathways Forward in Communities Impacted by Incarceration

‍Women’s Herstory Month invites reflection on the women who have shaped movements, challenged injustices, and held communities together through difficult periods in this nation’s history.

Join Us For AFJ’s Women's HERStory Panel Featuring Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson and Moderated by Monica Morales of PIX11

Join Us For AFJ’s Women's HERStory Panel Featuring Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson and Moderated by Monica Morales of PIX11