Phila’s Youth Justice Program Turns 100% of Recidivists Into Returners—Jail’s Costly, Ineffective Alternative Revealed!

Janelle Harvey’s Unexpected Encounter in Philadelphia

During a March 2021 errand run in Philadelphia, Janelle Harvey, a new mother, found herself abruptly confronted by a group of strangers.

The Incident

• Harvey was heading toward a SEPTA transit platform when she felt a sudden kick.
• She spun around, only to be surrounded by five individuals.
• The assailants launched a series of random blows at her.

Post‑Attack Reflections

When Harvey later identified the perpetrators, her heart sank upon recognizing familiar faces. She described a brief bout of PTSD and, more importantly, expressed concern over the youthfulness of the attackers.

Road to Restorative Justice

In the weeks following the assault, Harvey received a call from Kempis “Ghani” Songster, the program manager for Healing Futures, Philadelphia’s pioneering pre‑charge initiative that seeks to redirect youth toward restorative‑justice diversion.

• “Healing Futures” aligns with the Youth Art & Self‑Empowerment Project, a youth‑driven organization dedicated to ending youth incarceration.
• Songster asked whether Harvey would participate in a session that would bring offenders face‑to‑face with their victims, a process centered on accountability.
• Restorative justice, a concept Harvey had not previously considered, is gaining traction in cities such as Chicago, Washington DC, and the Bay Area.

What the Program Offers

Through a partnership with the Philadelphia district attorney’s office, Healing Futures offers youths the chance to complete a diversion program. Success means the charges against those participants are dropped.

Harvey’s Decision

At 33, Janelle Harvey chose to engage in the program, trusting that the opportunity to heal and unify the community would outweigh the shock of her initial assault.

Restorative-justice studies find lower rates of recidivism

How Healing Futures Operates

Over a span of weeks, young participants engage with program leaders to explore their personal needs, understand the concept of accountability, and compose an apology directed toward the individual they harmed.

Restorative Community Conference

• The harmed party articulates the impact of the incident.
• The youth responsible registers their apology in the collective space.

Collective Resolution

With family members and community participants present, the group deliberates and determines how the youth will mend the harm. Volunteering, community service, or other reparative actions are typical outcomes.

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Healing Futures: Restoring Youth to Society

Program Overview

Once young people finish their personal growth plan, Healing Futures hosts a community gathering to greet them back as productive members of society. The entire process can take about 10 months.

Steps to Reintegration

• Step 1: Create a tailored growth plan for each youth.
• Step 2: Deliver targeted learning and skill development over 10 months.
• Step 3: Host a community welcome event to re‑introduce them into the community.

Community Impact

By reconnecting youth with the community after a structured growth period, Healing Futures cultivates a cycle of productive participation and social cohesion.

Healing Futures: A Restoration Revolution

Meet the Trailblazers

• Felix Rosado – Former probation youth turned program advocate.
• Kempis “Ghani” Songster – Community educator and restorative justice champion.
• Queen-Cheyenne Wade – Healing Futures’ creative lead and youth mentor.

Program Snapshot

Since 2021, 33 participants have graduated. The collective has shown lower recidivism and reduced costs compared to traditional probation.

Evidence of Impact

• 2017 Community Works West study – 44% fewer reoffenses among program completers.
• Alameda County costs – $4,500 per youth versus $23,000 for annual probation.
• Renewing Harm Crediting – No recidivist among Healing Futures graduates.

Philosophical Perspective

Songster’s Insight – “The system penalizes people but pays light on crime.” He described a regime that “lets people off the hook” without confronting their inner struggles.

Future Vision

Healing Futures aims to mentor youth through accountability, creativity, and community support, ensuring that restorative justice becomes the primary pathway to personal and societal healing.

Restorative justice lets life continue, with accountability

Daniel, 17, is a rising leader who transformed his future

Daniel’s journey began when he met Harvey at a SEPTA station. This meeting sparked his entry into the Healing Futures program, which now hosts 33 youths who are reshaping their communities.

What Daniel is learning

• Daniel is studying financial literacy to build investment skills.
• He dreams of launching his own clothing brand.
• He works at a movie theater, where he has discovered real leadership.

Volunteer commitment

As part of his plan, Daniel volunteered four hours a week for six months at the Charles Foundation, a Philadelphia nonprofit that teaches conflict‑resolution and advocates against gun violence. Daniel’s dedication extended to seven hours a week, and a year and a half later he continues to serve.

Harvey’s impact

Daniel said that meeting Harvey, who encouraged him to look beyond his current lifestyle, propelled his success.

“I learned don’t try to impress the people you want to impress. Impress the people you got to impress. And just be yourself,” Daniel said. “Don’t let anybody tell you not to be you. Because you being you is the best you.”

‘The investment in their lives can take us further as a city’

Philadelphia Councilwoman Champions Restorative‑Justice Program

Kendra Brooks, a Philadelphia City Council member, praised the new Healing Futures initiative as a positive step for the city. Since 2015, Brooks has trained in restorative‑justice techniques and incorporated those lessons into her children’s school curriculum.

Timing of Reforms

Despite her efforts, Brooks noted that restorative‑justice lessons often arrive “too late.” She said, “My daughter buried more friends than I have in my lifetime.” The city’s youth gun‑violence victim rate has risen from 2015 to nearly 10%.

Brooks’ Perspective

• Brooks has led restorative‑justice training for school programs.
• She said the training is sometimes delayed, impacting youth safety.
• The Healing Futures program, she added, moves in the right direction for Philadelphia.

Healing Futures: Restoring Philadelphia Youth

A Vision for Change

Since 2015, Kendra Brooks has championed restorative‑justice techniques, aiming to heal communities rather than punish them. Her work with Healing Futures focuses on cases the district attorney refers—assault, arson, theft—while explicitly excluding killings or drug‑related incidents.

Expanding the Reach of Restorative Practices

• Brooks believes that investing in young offenders’ lives yields more progress for the city than costly incarceration.
• She envisions Healing Futures, paired with other restorative initiatives, returning youths to their neighborhoods as healers themselves.
• Brooks says early introductions of restorative‑justice teachings within Philadelphia schools could deepen community mending.

Staff Stories: Personal Redemption

Queen‑Cheyenne Wade, a facilitator whose family split under incarceration, exemplifies the program’s impact.

Songster and Felix Rosado, a coordinator, discovered restorative justice while serving a 27‑year life‑without‑parole sentence. Starting last year, Rosado says the job offers a chance to reverse time and talk with his younger self:

“I jumped into this job immediately. It gives me the opportunity to go back in time and talk with my younger self. Who knows, had I had an opportunity to participate in something like this, where my life could have gone,”

Program Context

Healing Futures operates under the parent organization Youth Art & Self‑Empowerment Project. The program continues to update its outreach and acknowledges the unique families and individuals it serves.