Q: Why use media?

T: Well, it’s an easy way to learn. We teach people about the media, too.

L: Like Trav said, we use media as a teaching tool for a couple of different reasons. For one, the developmental and educational process of the young people that we work with, working with media provides them with critical technology skills which are increasingly important. Two, being media literate- both critical viewers of media and producers of their own media is increasingly important this day in age. Being able to read media these days is just as important as being able to read a literary text. Three, we use media as an intentional organizing strategy. Public perception, particularly when it comes to criminal justice system issues and youth and people of color is one of the biggest obstacles to creating change. Public perception is often one of the biggest barriers to creating public will for policy change, so media is an intentional strategy as an educational tool to create systemic change around criminal justice policies.

As an organization we are two years old. I worked with students at Yale Law School to co-found the organization. We now have youth staff as well.

T: To make it short, I got locked up, I met her, and then I forgot about her, but I ran into her at school, and… I just decided to stay around.

It was for a violation of probation. How I grew up, know wha I’mean, was a way to survive. I was 13, that’s when I really started to get into trouble. I had a warrant, know wha I’mean. I was sellin.

L: A lot of youth actually become incarcerated never having committed an actual crime. Particularly for a young woman, it could be a “status offense,” like being truant from school, running away from home, and then they are put on probation, and if they do something to violate their probation, they can issue warrant and get locked up. Like if you miss a probation meeting, of have fight with your parents, or don’t go to school, or get into trouble at school.

Other things that can start this process is breech of peace and you can be put on probation for that. The needs that young people have aren’t being met. And when they violate, they get locked up.

T: There’s not enough for like, I mean you got kids growin up without they dad, they brothers. They growin up watching older dudes. There’s nothing for them to do like. There neighborhood has one park. And you buy drugs at the park, what can you do? This place is for kids, right? Chill out, let em grow up and be kids without having to hustle.