Rewritten
By Angie Frias
When young people are given mentorship, creative opportunity, and community support in lieu of perpetual punishment, something amazing often happens.
POSTER PLACEHOLDER
At the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory in Los Angeles, justice-impacted young adults find something the system often never gave them: mentorship, art, community, and the opportunity to build a different future. Rewritten follows their journey as they refuse to let their past define who they become.
About the Issue
Too often, justice-impacted young people are defined by their worst moments rather than their potential. Limited access to mentorship, creative opportunities, and supportive community programs can make it harder for young people to build stable futures.
Mentorship and community-based support programs have been shown to reduce recidivism and improve long-term outcomes for justice-impacted youth and adults. [Cite]
Arts education and creative expression can help improve confidence, emotional well-being, communication skills, and community connection for justice-impacted individuals. [Cite]
Communities impacted by systemic inequality and incarceration often face limited access to resources, mentorship, educational opportunities, and long-term support systems. [Cite]
Credible messenger programs create opportunities for formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted individuals to become mentors, leaders, educators, and advocates within their own communities. [Cite]
Investment in prevention, mentorship, education, and community support can help create safer and healthier communities more effectively than punishment-centered approaches alone. [Cite]
When communities invest in people instead of punishment, everyone benefits.
Take Action
Young people are more than the mistakes they have made.
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Advocate for Funding for Alternatives to Incarceration for Youth
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Support Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory
The BHAC helps young people build confidence, find their voice, and create new possibilities for themselves and their communities.
Host A Screening
Bring Rewritten to your campus, organization, coalition, faith community, conference, or community event to spark conversations about youth justice and alternatives to incarceration.
Screenings help communities challenge stigma, rethink how we respond to youth, and build support for solutions that prioritize investment in young people over harsh punishments.
Interested in hosting a screening, panel, or community conversation potentially featuring Angie Frias and local advocates?