Justice-Impacted Youth
Workforce Pathways

Justice-Impacted Youth Workforce Pathways

Too many justice-impacted youth are caught in cycles of instability because they lack access to consistent income, support, and opportunity. I support creating a paid, milestone-based workforce pathway for youth identified as high-risk for recidivism — focused on accountability, stability, and long-term success.

This program would provide:

​

• Paid workforce opportunities tied to clear monthly milestones such as education completion, job training, mentorship participation, and personal development

• Mental health and wellness supports integrated into the program to address trauma, stress, and long-term stability

• Structured accountability with clear expectations, coaching, and consistent check-ins

• Asset-building through earned income, where 50% of monthly earnings are paid directly to participants and 50% are placed into a protected savings account

• A completion-based savings release, giving participants access to their full savings at the end of the program to support housing, education, transportation, or entrepreneurship.

​

As Your Legislator, I Will:

​

• Sponsor and support legislation creating paid, milestone-based workforce pathways for justice-impacted youth

• Secure state funding by aligning workforce, behavioral health, and public safety resources

• Require trauma-informed mental health and mentorship supports as part of program design

• Establish clear accountability measures tied to education, job training, and employment outcomes

• Support asset-building models that help participants earn income while building protected savings

• Partner with local governments, schools, employers, and community organizations to scale what works

​

By investing in workforce pathways instead of incarceration, we strengthen public safety, reduce recidivism, and build a stronger local economy. True accountability means providing opportunity — and expecting young people to rise to it.