January was National Mentoring Month, and mentoring plays a transformative role in the lives of OYA youth. Justice-involved youth often face significant challenges, including trauma, instability, and limited positive role models. Research from the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators underscores the importance of structured mentorship in reducing recidivism and supporting long-term success. By fostering trust and consistency, mentors help youth navigate their past experiences and build skills for a better future.
Many justice-involved youth carry histories of trauma, loss, and instability. “We’re talking about trauma, coming out of gang life, coming out of prison, addiction, trauma at home with their families,” Derric Thompson with Leaders Become Legends explains. Thompson’s colleague, Bretto Jackson, pointed to deeper trauma, “passed through our DNA from the ancestors.” “All they hear is bad-bad-bad-bad – never good,” observes Andre White with Mentoring Our Youth, which harms their senses of self-worth and confidence. Research from the Council shows that effective mentorship prioritizes healing before focusing on practical goals. That long-term success might include employment, but landing a stable job is really “the bonus part of our program,” Thomson says. “What we really care about is helping youth get in a good place.”
In this context, building deep trust is critical, and mentors with lived experience do just that. By providing unique insight and relatability, mentors with lived experience can connect in ways that traditional authority figures often cannot. The Council’s research highlights that mentors who have navigated similar struggles can foster deeper connections and serve as credible role models. Temo Alvarado from GUIA echoes this sentiment: “A lot of these kids just need someone who speaks their language, both literally and figuratively.” Youth Advocate Programs (YAP) mentor Eddie Bynum adds, “We listen more than we preach. We try to understand what they’re going through instead of just telling them what to do.” This approach helps youth see a path forward through someone who has successfully walked it before.
Family relationships can be complicated for justice-involved youth, and mentorship plays a key role in helping them rebuild and navigate those connections. Many OYA mentors go beyond working directly with youth—they also provide support to parents and caregivers, ensuring that families are equipped to create stable environments. “Whoever their support system is,” Eddie Bynum from YAP says, “we try to make sure that they know who we are, what we’re doing, that they’re up to date with what’s going on.” Mentor Andre White finds himself working closely with parents to help them understand “how important they are in their child’s life,” and how they can boost their kid’s self-confidence by showing up.
Mentors also step in to address tangible family needs, such as finding housing or securing basic necessities. For the family of one youth returning home, resources were tight, and YAP mentors made sure the youth had a bed and clothing as soon as they came home. Research shows that strengthening family relationships and ensuring youth have stable home environments are critical in reducing recidivism and promoting long-term success.
Mentors may further connect with you and their families through shared culture. Many justice-involved youth come from communities that have historically faced systemic barriers, and mentors’ personal connections to their communities offer another line of connection to youths’ lived experiences. In his conversation with youth, Bretto Jackson has found that “one of the biggest things that they’re always calling for” is “people that really look like them” to help them on their journey. Programs like GUIA, which is Spanish for “guide,” focus on providing culturally competent mentorship, where shared language and cultural understanding create deeper connections. Culture, Temo Alvarado says, is “a big source of pride, and it keeps us connected. Sometimes, that sense of cultura that we have, we’re able to pick up on it right away and that connection just takes off.” Research confirms this approach, showing that when youth see mentors who reflect their backgrounds and understand their struggles, they are more likely to engage and trust the process.
This emphasis on shared culture falls within a broader aspect of mentorship: shared experiences. Structured, consistent interactions with mentors have been proven to significantly reduce the likelihood of reoffending. Temo Alvarado works hard to “[put] together spaces and prosocial events for youth” to practice social skills with him and other people. Whether it’s playing basketball, going out for a meal together, taking a walk, attending a street festival, or just going for a ride, these activities build trust, show youth that they are valued, and give them practice in community situations.
In these shared experiences, mentors model leadership qualities in everyday life, and research highlights that this modeling helps youth develop critical decision-making and problem-solving skills. “I’m not going to tell you to do something I’m not going to do,” says Andre White. “We want these guys to become leaders in their community,” Derric Thompson says, so “the little ones under them will see the growth in them and try to follow them.” Whether it’s demonstrating accountability, advocating for themselves, or setting goals, mentorship provides youth with a blueprint for leadership that they can carry into their futures.
Meeting youth where they are—both physically and emotionally—is a cornerstone of effective mentorship. When he first meets a youth, Andre White starts by asking, “What are the barriers where you’re having a problem?” The Council’s research stresses that mentorship must be adaptable, addressing individual needs rather than enforcing rigid expectations. “It’s really no cookie cutter thing that we do,” says Derric Thompson. “It’s based on each individual.” This approach ensures that youth feel heard and supported, rather than pressured or judged.
The impact of OYA’s mentorship programs is clear. Youth who struggle with trust and stability are finding purpose, learning accountability, and embracing positive change. Through lived experience, unwavering support, and genuine connection, mentors help transform lives, one relationship at a time. OYA’s mentorship initiatives highlight the power of investing in young people and creating pathways for success beyond the justice system.
Key Quotes from Mentors:
Temo Alvarado (GUIA)
- “Culture is a big source of pride, and it keeps us connected. Sometimes, that sense of cultura that we have, we’re able to pick up on it right away and that connection just takes off.”
- “Kids are smart. They can tell right away if that’s somebody you would talk to, somebody you can relate to. They know.”
- “I always make sure that I check in with parents to let them know who I am…I try to give [them] updates, but also not too much because I don’t want to break that relationship with the youth.
Leaders Become Legends (Mike ‘Bretto’ Jackson & Derric Thompson)
- Derric Thompson: “We show them, Hey, man, we’re just like you. We came from the system, we made it, we made something better out of ourselves. And we basically just lead by example.”
- Bretto Jackson: “The mental health of the client coming home – that transition back into the community – is critical. [Culturally specific support] should start right there to work with these guys to get the best outcome.”
- Bretto Jackson: “Starting that relationship inside helps when they get to the streets. It should be like that – when those guys have got six months to the door, we should start building that relationship.”
Youth Advocate Programs (Eddie Bynum, Jeremy Ahrendt, & Willie Hall)
- Eddie Bynum: “We tend to listen to them more than we preach at them just to try to have a have an understanding of what they’re going through.”
- Eddie Bynum: “These are lifelong relationships that we’re building with these kids. We don’t ever want to just say, Hey, we’re done with the program.”
- Jeremy Ahrendt: “They just wanna make sure I’m there for them. So they’ll call me and talk about what’s going on in their life currently, what they want to achieve when they get out – they just want someone to talk to.
Andre White
- “Don’t tell me you love me, show me. Don’t say you’re sorry, just don’t do it again. Be respectful to your community.”
- “Be patient and understand they’re going to make mistakes, and mistakes are part of growing.”
- “As kids go back home, and we need to heal that house, rebuild those bonds.”