"As a teenager, I carried a gun. Not with the intention to hurt anyone-I knew it was dangerous-but because I was scared of being jumped, robbed, or killed-things that had already happened to people I knew. But it wasn't just fear. I felt lost. I didn't see a future-only threats. There weren't people around to show me something different, just other kids trying to figure it out, too."
"In wealthier neighborhoods, kids walked home past community centers, parks, and after-school programs. Where I lived in the Bronx, it was liquor stores, fast food joints, and police. There was no safe place to ask questions. Whether it was needing help getting out of a gang or just someone to talk to after a fight at school, we had no trusted adults or services to turn to."
"When I was 22, I was arrested for gun possession and sent to Rikers. At Rikers, my fear only intensified, turning into anger and leaving me more disconnected. After spending eight months on Rikers, what finally gave me a new way forward was an alternative-to-incarceration program (ATI) run by the Fortune Society that I entered as part of a plea deal."
Growing up in a Bronx neighborhood stripped of community resources, a teenager carried a gun out of fear of being jumped, robbed, or killed and felt no future or guidance. Wealthier areas had community centers and after-school programs, while his neighborhood offered liquor stores, fast food, and police, leaving no safe places or trusted adults for help. Arrested at 22 for gun possession, he spent eight months on Rikers, which increased his fear and disconnection. Entry into an alternative-to-incarceration program run by the Fortune Society provided mentors who showed care, taught accountability and skills, and offered employment as a community navigator.
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