By Isaiah Polk, 2026 Emerging Leaders Committee Member
I grew up in public housing. When people hear those words, they often make assumptions about what that means. Some picture crime, instability, or failure. I think of something different. I think of neighbors who looked out for one another, children playing outside until the streetlights came on, and a community that taught me resilience. I also remember the challenges. Resources were limited, opportunities often felt out of reach, and many families worked tirelessly to provide a better future for their children.
Today, I serve as a juvenile probation case manager, and I often work with young people whose experiences remind me of my own. While every child’s story is different, I have learned that where a young person grows up can significantly influence the opportunities available to them long before they ever enter a courtroom. My upbringing did not determine my future, but it shaped my understanding of why youth justice reform must begin long before court involvement.
Too often, conversations about youth involved in the justice system focus solely on the choices a young person has made. Personal responsibility is important, but it is only one part of the story. Young people develop within families, schools, neighborhoods, and communities. These environments influence their access to education, health care, employment opportunities, mentoring relationships, and safe spaces to grow. When those supports are limited, young people face barriers that extend well beyond their individual decisions.
Public housing is not the problem. Rather, many public housing communities have experienced decades of underinvestment that have limited access to opportunities and essential resources. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation (2024), children growing up in communities with concentrated poverty face greater barriers to educational success, economic mobility, and long-term well-being than children living in communities with greater economic opportunity. These disparities are not the result of a lack of potential but rather unequal access to the resources that help young people thrive.
Additionally, research has shown that neighborhoods can either expand or limit opportunities during adolescence depending on the resources and supports available. Warner and Settersten (2017) explain that neighborhoods play a critical role in adolescent development because they reflect the unequal distribution of opportunities and resources across communities. Their research suggests that investing in neighborhoods is not simply about improving places; it is about creating environments where young people have the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. These findings reinforce the importance of addressing community conditions as part of meaningful youth justice reform.
Throughout my work, I frequently meet youth whose court involvement represents only one chapter of a much larger story. Many have experienced trauma, housing instability, inconsistent school attendance, untreated behavioral health needs, or limited access to positive adult role models. Those experiences are rarely reflected in a court petition, yet they often provide important context for understanding how a young person entered the juvenile justice system.
Youth justice reform requires us to ask different questions. Instead of asking only, “What did this young person do?” we should also ask, “What happened to this young person?” and “What support was available before court involvement?” Those questions encourage us to move beyond punishment and toward prevention, intervention, accountability, and long-term success.
I also believe positive mentors and supportive people can shape the course of a young person’s life. Sometimes, all it takes is one person who sees potential, offers encouragement, or opens a door that might have otherwise remained closed. Growing up in public housing did not define my future. Teachers, mentors, family members, and community leaders believed in me when I needed it most. At Austin Peay State University, Dr. Dava Wilson and Professor Jessie Wiser encouraged me through challenges and pushed me to keep pursuing my goals.
As an undergraduate, Director Edward Moss gave me my first opportunity by bringing me on as an intern with the Montgomery County Juvenile Court. After I graduated, he hired me as a Juvenile Probation Officer, despite my lack of professional experience. My colleague and mentor, Ms. Teya Moore, encouraged me to pursue opportunities beyond my daily work, including joining the Coalition for Juvenile Justice’s Emerging Leaders Committee. Their belief in me helped me see possibilities beyond my circumstances. Today, I strive to provide that same encouragement and opportunity to the young people I serve.
Youth justice reform is about more than improving court procedures or changing laws. It is about recognizing that where a young person lives should never determine what they are capable of becoming. When we strengthen communities, we strengthen families. When we invest in young people before they enter the justice system, we create safer communities and brighter futures for everyone.
Because youth justice reform does not begin in the courtroom. It begins in the communities we choose to strengthen.
References
Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2024). Race for results: Building a path to opportunity for all children. https://www.aecf.org/resources/2024-race-for-results
Warner, T. D., & Settersten, R. A., Jr. (2017). Why neighborhoods (and how we study them) matter for adolescent development. Advances in Child Development and Behavior, 52, 105–152. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8794006/