AFJ’s Star Preventive Participant, Cameron, Is Headed To College This Fall!

At Avenues for Justice (AFJ), it is our mission to support court-involved and at-risk youth by addressing their immediate needs through individualized support, which includes educational and enrichment services, along with mental health care at our two community centers. This week, we want to highlight one of AFJ’s star preventive Participants, Cameron, who is part of our at-risk population.  

In 2017, Kai came to our courthouse offices with a serious court matter as a teenager. Despite our best efforts, Kai was not ready to take full of advantage of our services and was subsequently sentenced to several years in prison. During Kai’s short time at AFJ, Lower East Side Court Advocates formed a strong bond with his mother and his younger brother, Cameron. Just 11 years old at the time, Cameron would join Kai on AFJ’s cultural outings, including our annual summer trip to Bear Mountain State Park.

When Kai was sentenced and incarcerated, his mother desperately wanted to prevent Cameron from facing the same fate as his older brother. Nelson, AFJ’s Senior Court Advocate, informed her that AFJ also provided preventive services.

Elated, she started bringing Cameron to our Lower East Sid community center every day after school. Initially, Cameron was unsure of why he was there as most Participants were older than him and involved in the criminal justice system. Over time, however, Cameron became one of AFJ’s most focused preventive Participants. He attended almost every workshop and worked with AFJ volunteer tutors on his writing, reading, and art. The community center became a safe space where he could utilize the computer lab for homework and bond with his peers.

Cameron’s commitment to exceling academically was evident. He would arrive at the center, immediately go to the computer lab to do his homework and was always the last Participant to leave. Cameron would share with Nelson how there were times where he considered doing things which he knew would get him in trouble. Before he acted on his impulses, he would ask himself, “What would my mother think? What would Nelson think? How would my brother feel if I ended up incarcerated like him?” His mother observed how “at the center, Cameron could fully be himself in a way that I’ve never seen. When he’s at the center, I know he is safe.” As a single parent she felt like she needed to find a strong support system for Cameron which she found that at Avenues for Justice and with Nelson.

Working with Cameron for over four years, Nelson has witnessed tremendous growth in him. As a teenager, Cameron challenged his mother and his teachers, and also struggled with mental health issues. To get him on the right track, Nelson made sure that he received individualized counseling. The dynamic between Nelson, Cameron, and his mom, proved to be a good fit culminating in Cameron graduating from high school last month. Cameron’s mother, his older brother Kai (who was recently released from prison), Nelson and Angel were all in attendance to celebrate his achievement. On graduation day, Cameron reflected to Nelson how he could not believe that he was a high school graduate.

In three week’s time, Cameron will begin his fall semester at SUNY Purchase. He is excited to go upstate, meet new people, experience college life and major in Environmental Science. Cameron’s journey while at AFJ underscores the importance of providing preventive services for at-risk youth.

Reflecting on his time while at AFJ, Cameron notes how “there’s too much crime with young people these days. If AFJ can help bring that down, it’s a major positive.” Cameron’s mother is a strong believer in that “children need a place to go, especially when they have a single parent at home. It’s like a little family that youth come to and keeps them straight, away from gangs, away from crime. They cook, eat, and learn here. AFJ knows how to reach young people in a way that most people can’t.”

Everyone at Avenues for Justice is thrilled to see where Cameron’s drive lands him on this next chapter in college. In 2024 alone, we have served over 150 at-risk youth, who like Cameron, needed a safe place to go to with programming and resources.