BronxConnect UYAI

BronxConnect is a faith & community based program for Bronx Family/Criminal/Supreme court-involved youth, dedicated to keeping urban youth out of jail for life!

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

Did you know that it costs $247k annually to keep someone at Rikers, but only $11k for BronxConnect to support them?

As a $1 million Communities Thrive Challenge grantee, we can provide even more care for our youth and help them build brighter futures. https://t.co/iRU9W81nCk.

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

Sometimes its as simple as having a ball in your hands. Every young person deserves moments where they can just be young.

📸 mgyoungphotography

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

What if we stopped asking, “What’s wrong with this young person?” and started asking, “What happened, and what support is needed?”

Justice requires us to ask the right questions.

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

Showing up for young people means showing up everywhere decisions are being made. Proud to stand alongside coalition partners in Albany fighting for protections every child deserves. It's time to pass the Youth Interrogation bill (S878C/A2620B).

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

Too often, support comes after harm instead of before it. Young people deserve resources, relationships, and opportunities that help them thrive long before they ever face crisis.

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

Justice should not depend on a family’s income.

No child should face interrogation without access to legal counsel. Protecting constitutional rights means making sure every child has the support they need, regardless of their financial circumstances.

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

What if our response to harm focused more on healing than punishment? Diversion programs have a care based approach which invests in people through opportunity and stability instead of incarceration.

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

Ice cream walks with neighborhood energy. Summer is finding its way back to the Bronx.

📸 bronxnbeyond

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

Our Mayor's executive budget is on track to save $78 million by reducing inefficiencies within the Department of Corrections. While there is still more to do to reduce the DOCs outsized budget that runs 4x less efficiently, we're headed in the right direction. #closerikers

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

There’s something powerful about seeing young people simply enjoy being young. These are the moments communities should protect.

📸 filmdelarosa

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

Every 5 seconds, someone is admitted into a jail in the U.S. That should force us to ask deeper questions about what safety and prevention really look like. Communities deserve better than cycles of harm.

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

There’s something powerful about knowing someone is waiting for you with love and care. Every child deserves that kind of support.

📸 denn_ice

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

When we talk about justice, safety, and community, young people must remain at the center. Their wellbeing should never be negotiable.

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

Sometimes the most impactful moments look simple with a meal and a conversation. Relationships are at the center of this work, and moments like these matter more than people realize.

📸 rtgnorth779

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

A system this costly should at least create safety. Right now, it’s falling short.

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

Young people aren’t waiting to be heard, they’re leading. Amber from @loudforchange is speaking truth in Albany: real safety comes from investment, not incarceration.

🎥 youthrepresentnyc

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

#Right2RemainSilent passed out of the Senate Codes Committee on May 18! A meaningful step toward protecting children’s constitutional rights.

Thank you @jamaaltbailey, @AndrewHevesi, @senatormyrie, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for helping move this forward.

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

Building safer communities starts with equipping people. Grateful to host spaces where learning turns into action.

📸 gdlu_lazaris

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

New York is spending up to $1 million a year to incarcerate one young person. We’re overfunding systems that harm and underfunding solutions that heal. The Youth Justice & Opportunities Act is about shifting that reality.

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

Honored to be in community with organizations committed to violence interruption, healing, and long-term change.

📸 gunsdownlifeup_jimbo569

[BronxConnect UYAI @BronxConnect]

We may not control the future, but we can shape how our young people walk into it. That starts with real support and real opportunities.