Where Avenues for Justice Landed in 2025: When the Landscape Closed In, We Opened Our Doors Wider!

In our 46th year, Avenues for Justice (AFJ) didn't just show up in 2025. Our Participants’ success stories illustrated what's possible when young people are met with genuine opportunity and a continuum of care, instead of judgment; and with investment, instead of abandonment.

691 young people from 48 of NYC's 51 Council Districts walked through our doors in 2025. They came in record numbers, even as funding decreased and uncertainty became our reality. In the face of all this, AFJ’s court advocacy and HIRE Up services were more essential than ever!

The numbers tell part of the story: highest in-person attendance and engagement in AFJ's 46-year history. But the real story lives in the young people who remained resilient and kept showing up.

Hear What AFJ Participants Had To Say About 2025

Our 2025 Impact: What Showing Up In Community Looks Like

Creating Pathways to Success

Who AFJ Serves: Participant Demographics

• 82% of AFJ’s population is between the ages of 12-18;
• 88% Male and 12% Female, with affirming support for gender non-conforming youth;
• 61% identify as Black/African American and 36% identify as Hispanic/Latinx; and
• 63% of Participants enrolled in high school at intake, with many facing educational barriers.

What Was New in 2025: Innovation in Action

When challenges mounted, AFJ got creative.

Security Certification Training

In partnership with S&S Security Training and Services, AFJ offered onsite Security certification training, opening doors to stable, well-paying careers in one of NYC's most accessible industries.
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Strengthened Mental Health Support

AFJ Court Advocate and current NYU MSW student, Elsie, stepped into the role of Mental Health Liaison. She conducted assessments, managed referrals, ensured follow-ups, and worked across our programs to integrate wellness check-ins. We expanded our network of trusted mental health partners across all five boroughs, including Queens Mental Health, Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, the Bowen Center, and Astor Services. These partnerships ensured that every Participant was able to access culturally competent, stigma-free wellness care.

Leadership Council

Led by Teen Empowerment's Dr. Dennis Ibude, this transformative 10-week leadership development program empowered cohorts of 5-8 Participants through essential principles, which included: punctuality, integrity, team development, conflict resolution, project management, and facilitation. Upon completion, Participants didn’t just gain skills; they became instructors for the next cohort, paying it forward!

Gun Violence Prevention Workshop

An urgently needed initiative, workshops focused on personal safety, conflict de-escalation, and community accountability. Through guided dialogue and scenario-based learning, Participants examined the social and emotional factors driving violence and develop practical strategies for avoiding high-risk situations.
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Debate Team Workshop

Led by Reggie Chatman, Director of Public Policy at the Fortune Society and nationally recognized as the leader of the Bard Prison Initiative's celebrated debate team, this 12-week program empowered young people with persuasive argumentation, critical thinking, public speaking, and respectful discourse. It built confidence, fostered teamwork, and gave Participants a voice.

Why 2025 Mattered

Yes, 2025 was challenging. Funding decreased. Political headwinds intensified. Uncertainty defined the landscape. But here's what also happened: Record participation. Record engagement. Record belief.

When systems fail young people, AFJ doesn't. When doors close, ours remain open. When the world says "no," we believe in yes. Our Participants showed us what resilience looks like. They showed up to workshops, to case management sessions, to certification trainings, to debates, to internships. They showed up for themselves, for each other, for their futures.

And we showed up for them.

Our 2026 Theme: Justice in Action! Justice happens in the everyday moments.

In 2026, AFJ is committing to Justice in Action. The AFJ Team will show up every single day to prove that incarceration being an alternative isn’t just a “nice” public safety concept----it is a necessity!

Justice in Action is the Security certification earned by a 19-year-old AFJ Participant who now has a pathway to stable income. It's the therapy session that helps a young person process trauma instead of repeating cycles. It's the debate workshop where a Participant discovers that their voice matters. It's the sealed court case that no longer defines someone's future.

We're no longer just talking about what young people could be. We're going to show our young people what they will become when given real support and real resources.