Imagine all of the milestones you hit when you were 16 years old…

Did you know?

84% of children in juvenile detention (aged 18 and under) will be re-incarcerated within 5 years.*

*CSG Justice Center

 
 
 

Inspired by True Stories.

This summer, I had the privilege of volunteering alongside C3.NYC’s Juvenile Justice Ministry at both Horizon and Crossroads Juvenile Centers, in the Bronx and Brooklyn. My first visit preceded Father’s Day, a difficult time for many residents who were young parents – some merely 16 years old. Having grown up with difficult and sometimes traumatic home lives, many believe they don’t have what it takes to become a parent. Residents believe they're programmed to repeat the actions of their own flawed fathers, and there’s no hope for their future. 

Over the next months, I got to speak with several boys in the facilities, learning that the prison also ran a chicken hatching program with Sprout by Design. It’s primarily used as a gentling activity and to teach responsibility, but I also saw it as a metaphor for raising children. I soon understood that many residents develop strong attachments to the chicks – treating them like surrogate children. Ultimately, my intention with CHICKEN is to remind these children that they can still turn a new leaf… as fathers, working professionals, and dreamers in this world.

 

CHICKEN also seeks to be more than a film – it's a movement of young activists raising awareness for local issues in our city. Our team remains committed to working alongside impacted BIPOC prison communities and recently-paroled children in the Bronx/Brooklyn through local city partners Sprout by Design, C3.NYC Juvenile Justice, and Minority Millennials. We seek to mobilize volunteers for programs inside the detention centers, move audiences to donate to rehabilitation programs, and support mentorship and early-career programs for children exiting prisons/close-to-home facilities.

I’m indebted to our backers, an incredible crew, the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, and the faithful obedience of those who’ve gone ahead of us to do the real work in these facilities. Thank you for everything.

To learn more about how to get involved with our impact partners, please see below.

Josh Leong

 
 

Join C3.NYC and learn more about the juvenile justice system through volunteer initiatives designed to bring mentorship, encouragement, and love into both juvenile correctional facilities and juvenile group homes. JJM has remained in close contact with local city partners and facilities throughout COVID-19 and are still actively involved in building teams to impact youth.

Ways to get involved:

  • Phone call mentorship with youth inside both Correctional Facilities & Close to Home Facilties 

  • Letter writing with incarcerated youth

  • On the ground mentorship; mentoring recently released youth 

  • Weekly prayer calls, praying over youth, correctional facility staff & team 

  • Encouraging videos by team sent to tablets inside facility

 

Sprout by Design builds urban farms, gardens, greenhouses, chicken coops, hydroponic, aquaponic and composting systems for schools, detention centers, special needs organizations, and more. Nature is used as a practical tool to teach broader concepts like racial equity, environmental stewardship, and job training. In addition, their hands-on workshops & activities also have calming, developmental, and therapeutic benefits.

Ways to get involved:

  • Internships in design, education, urban farming, entrepreneurship, and more

  • Staff training and lesson plans

  • Facility garden maintenance

  • Design and build of urban farms, gardens, and chicken coops

  • Individual, small group, and large organization volunteering

 

Minority Millennials’ mission is to help Young People of Color access jobs, build wealth and become civically engaged. Their teams are committed to driving equitable development and community transformation through public-private partnerships with local government, businesses, and communities. Minority Millennials aims to become the nation’s leading resource for emerging generations of color as they seek equity in social, political, and economic developments.

Ways to get involved:

  • Advocacy and issue-based campaigns

  • Civic education

  • Workforce development

  • Diversity recruitment

  • Financial literacy training