In New Jersey, and across the country, Departments of Corrections are subjected to little external oversight of their prisons, juvenile detention facilities or county jails. “Access” to conditions of confinement is possible only via letters and telephone calls from incarcerated men and women sharing of their experiences. Youngsters in juvenile facilities also reach out to tell their stories. In responding to these testimonies and requests from within New Jersey and throughout the country, the AFSC enables individuals to self-advocate; leading to empowerment.

Seeds of Resistance is a program for immigrant youth in south Florida that engages youth using trauma informed approaches. We provide immigrant youth and their families with political education, community organizing skills, and an understanding of immigrant and LGBTQ+ rights. We also provide education on environmental issues that rebuild ancestral connection to the earth and increase collective power and self-determination. We engage in “artivism,” and healing modalities necessary to become effective leaders in our local immigrant rights movement.