What the org has to say: “G.R.O.W.N. is designed to work as a conduit for change and empowerment. To be utilized by Philadelphians to demonstrate and highlight their growth and maturity over adverse situations that occurred in their lives. G.R.O.W.N. participants exercise their civic responsibilities and continuously strive to better their conditions.”

What we found: G.R.O.W.N.’s approach to mentoring addresses both shooting victims and alleged shooters. According to the organization’s co-founder and director, Connell Drinks, G.R.O.W.N. uses “a cognitive-based program to change their thinking and pull them away from the pull of the streets.” The organization’s programming ranges from trauma-informed therapy to creative activities. G.R.O.W.N. says it is “trying to make doing positive cool.”

What the org has to say: “Juvenile Law Center advocates for rights, dignity, equity and opportunity for youth in the child welfare and justice systems. We envision a world that affirms the unique and developmentally distinct qualities of youth, guarantees fair and equitable treatment, and ensures opportunities for successful adulthood.”

What we found: Juvenile Law Center takes a unique approach to the work they do: They view youth as leaders in child welfare and juvenile justice reform. The organization hires young Philadelphians to create advocacy projects. As participants pursue their work, the organization also trains them to talk to the media and speak publicly. Juvenile Law Center youth often attend hearings, city council meetings, press hearings, and workshops to help them best understand how these proceedings can differ from case to case.

What the org has to say: “The Society advocates for systemic policy change, responds to the concerns of incarcerated people and their families, provides subsidized bus service for Philadelphia families visiting loved ones incarcerated in different parts of the state, and provides assistance to individuals returning home from incarceration. It is the only non-profit organization in the United States with this degree of access to jails and prisons.”

What we found: Pennsylvania Prison Society helps incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people and their family members reintegrate into society. The organization pairs people with a mentor and sets them up with a monthly support group. PPS and its volunteers can also help if you’re facing abuse or lack healthcare.

What the org has to say: “Sankofa Healing Studio recognizes incarceration as a traumatic experience. The system of mass incarceration operates through structures of gendered and racial discrimination which disproportionately affect the Black Community. Sankofa is breaking the physical and emotional chains of trauma. We believe that holistic treatment approaches are needed to disrupt the development of re-traumatization, interrupt the cycle of intergenerational trauma, and heal the wounds of traumas that were experienced before incarceration. We support transformative justice.”

What we found: Sankofa offers therapy and other services that support mental health, with an emphasis on supporting the Black community through the impacts of racial and gender discrimination, particularly incarceration and interactions with police. The healing studio team runs trauma-informed in-person and online therapy sessions, group therapy “healing circles,” reentry support groups, and peer support programs for mental health professionals.

What the org has to say: “The Center for Returning Citizens is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of returning citizens (formerly incarcerated people), their families, and communities. Our goal is to fight social injustice and mass incarceration by helping returning citizens transition and build new lives, advocating for their rights, and educating the public about the detrimental effects of mass incarceration.”

What we found: TCRC works primarily with people impacted by the criminal justice system and who are looking to fulfill their court-mandated community service. The organization aims to help these individuals have a meaningful community service experience that benefits the communities they’re from. TCRC is run by individuals who were previously incarcerated themselves, which they say gives them a unique perspective on their work. “We’re formerly incarcerated and we’re OGs,” says founder J. Jondhi Harrell. “We’re former bank robbers, former gang leaders, former drug dealers, and we’re uniquely qualified to show kids something different and be positive role models in their lives.”

What the organization has to say:
The Elevation Project is a community-based organization that strives to meet the needs of both at-risk and formerly incarcerated individuals by providing a variety of services in a safe and supportive environment in order to empower fresh starts and open new pathways. Our work aims to improve lives, reduce recidivism and crime, and drive systemic change. The Elevation Project focuses on providing quality programming in following areas: cognitive thinking, coping with trauma, job readiness, parenting skills, and business development.

What we found out:

The Elevation project runs three programs including The Transformative Business Center, Reentry Support Hub, and The Elevate Program. It also hosts monthly community events centered around justice-impacted families, such as record-clearing clinics and food giveaways. Their Transformative Business Center (Small Business Incubator) gives budding entrepreneurs access to workshops, traditional office equipment, and trade-specific technology. The** Reentry Support Hub** helps residents apply for benefits, create resumes, apply to jobs, and access clothes, housing, and other basic needs. Specific job training includes CPR, ServSafe, and OSHA certification. The organization’s newest initiative, the Elevate Program, works with young men to start their own T-shirt lines. Throughout the eight-week workshop, participants work with case managers and mentors to design, print, package, and market the shirts. It’s all in an effort to give those at risk of incarceration a means of supporting themselves.

What the org has to say: “YSRP uses direct service and policy advocacy to transform the experiences of children prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system, and to ensure fair and thoughtful resentencing and reentry for individuals who were sentenced to life without parole as children (‘Juvenile Lifers’).”

What we found: YSRP’s goal is to have juvenile cases moved out of the adult justice system because in Pennsylvania, children as young as 10 can be charged as adults. Philadelphia has sentenced more children to life in prison without parole than any other city in the country. The organization works with clients for as long as they want, including when they are incarcerated and when they come home and need help reentering society. The staff meets monthly with trauma-informed therapists who teach them how to support the youth they are serving. YSRP offers art and poetry workshops to youth who are currently incarcerated and were charged as adults. Due to COVID, clients are now participating in those workshops over Zoom, on prison computers.