Preparing Youth for Tomorrow

PATH is a federally and faith-based funded initiative designed by CV to transform at-risk youth and increase their employability.  The goals of the PATH program are to recruit 100 justice involved youth from across Atlanta, ages 14–24 years of age, to: increase employability to achieve and maintain gainful employment; establish educational, career, and personal goals; provide mentorship opportunities to support goals and continued growth; create positive peer relationships and develop supportive systems; and provide curriculum-based training focused on participant empowerment. The objectives of PATH are to increase numeracy and literacy skills, job readiness, prepare youth to deal with conflict and to promote returning to school and post-secondary education to prevention adult involvement with the criminal justice system.

In efforts to reduce mass incarceration among young men of color, CV is leading the development of Now or Never. This national campaign seeks to establish a framework to reduce recidivism, encourage systemic changes to improve quality of life, and establish strategies to interrupt the generational cycle of incarceration.  With the creation of The Prison Expressway model, CV seeks to convene and mobilize leaders and communities to address the six key areas which have proven to impact the over incarceration of young men of color. These six areas are education, criminal justice reform, media, economic security, health and community and family. In partnership with the National Urban League, CV engaged public, private, faith-based and philanthropic leaders in two regional summits (Atlanta and New York) in discussion to address the social determinants that disproportionally impact young men of color.