U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Brandon M.

Brandon grew up in Northwest Washington, DC. As a youth, Brandon became involved in the juvenile justice system and was eventually placed in the secure residential detention center for DC, formerly known as Oak Hill. While at Oak Hill, Brandon joined Mentoring Today, an organization that provides volunteer mentors for incarcerated youth. After successfully completing the program at Oak Hill, Brandon began searching for employment and eventually started working directly with the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) in DC. Through his work with DYRS, Brandon was able to gain a deeper understanding of the system and started thinking about ways to improve services for youth.

After traveling to Chicago with Mentoring Today's CEO, Penelope Spain, and observing that city's successful peer engagement program, Brandon began the FREE Project-Fighting for Rights, Education and Employment. Now as a FREE Project Youth Leader, Brandon works closely with residents at New Beginnings, a new secure residential detention center in Washington, DC. He provides leadership and guidance to the residents and inspires his peers in the community by giving back and helping to create positive change in the juvenile justice system.

Date Created: July 9, 2020