Jane Lyons was a high school freshman when she started a non-profit with her brother to help formerly incarcerated youth. Youth Overcoming Obstacles (YOO) is dishing out second chances.
Now 18, this Delaware based woman recalls that the idea of prison stopped being an abstract concept when her neighbor was sent to the local juvenile detention center, Ferris School for Boys.
“[Teens at Ferris] feel as if society is stacked against them,” Lyons said in a recent TEDxYouth show. “They simply think that our world is waiting for them to make a mistake.”
Lyons realizes that everyone’s needs are unique, and assisted reentry into society after incarceration is incredibly important in reducing recidivism. YOO collects school supplies and clothes to distribute and hosts fundraisers to send young men to programs like vocational training, summer camp, or even rent on an apartment.
The state of Delaware caught on to the wild success of YOO and created their own re-entry fund mirroring the non-profit. Lyons is currently assisting in a pilot program focused on training reentry folks for the workforce.
“Being a part of a team in a sense has always been my favorite part of life,” Lyons told Delaware Online. “Being able to be surrounded by the people I love, the people I enjoy working with and all working together to a common goal. Of course, on the lacrosse field, that would be a state championship.”
Painter’s Project Illustrates Similarity Between East and West Cultures
What do a NYC fashionista and a Pakistani millennial have in common? Ali Hassoun is ready to show ya. He’s a juxtaposition wizard whose paintings cut to the root of what makes us, well, us. Take the fashionista and the…
Michael
May 17, 2023
