Resource for Growth

One of the main reasons young people find themselves back in the criminal justice system is a lack of either employment or educational opportunities upon their return to the community. Studies have found that people with multiple arrests were four times more likely to be unemployed than their peers, and young people who were arrested are much more likely to fail their classes. This can often form a dangerous feedback loop, where lack of education and job options leave people with few opportunities to get their life back on track.

"Sometimes I feel like not having a job is one of the reasons why they get arrested," Queens CSC Gonzalo Rondon says. "And if they're going to get out and continue not having a job, then they're just going to end up back here again." Yvette recalls the turbulent conditions when Atlas first began. “Because of Covid, all the schools were closed. So when we were connecting people with therapy we asked ‘What's going on, what do you need? You want to go further in school?’ Then they started introducing other programs here and there. Maybe you can get your GED if you don't have it. They have this job program and this arts program, and it just ballooned into what it is now.”

Other career and educational programs are often helpful, but their success can be limited by a one-size-fits all approach. In FFT, program staff can get a wholistic view of participant's lives and offer pathways to success tailored to their strengths and interests. “It's such a great program, people don't realize what they have right in front of them,” Yvette says. “They prepare you for the job training and the placement. So somebody's actually holding your hand, they're helping you out. And it's not only for the youth, they allow the families to get involved as well.”

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