FRESH START

Fresh Start was originally designed for juvenile/criminal justice-involved teenagers in the Hudson Valley. The program began in May 2018 in conjunction with New York State’s Raise the Age reforms.

LUMBERYARD piloted the program at Hudson Adolescent Offender Facility (the first adolescent offender facility established in New York State in conjunction with Raise the Age, formerly named Hudson Correctional Facility) and has expanded to four Office of Children and Family Services facilities in New York State: Goshen Secure Center, Brentwood Residential Center, Columbia Girls Secure Center (at the time, the only all-girls facility in New York State), and Highland Residential Center.

In January of 2019, Kaneza Schaal, Modesto Flako Jimenez, and Cornell Alston assumed responsibility for the curriculum. The program also scaled to 4 facilities operated by NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), including one facility for females.

In July-August 2021, Oye Group took responsibility for developing the curriculum and administration of the program and partnered with LUMBERYARD to deliver Fresh Start.

Through Fresh Start, teenagers work through creative and challenging exercises that help them tell their own stories, discover more about themselves, and explore new means for expressing their wants, needs, and desires. Exposure to the world of theater and the arts offer a creative and safe environment for people dealing with all kinds of mental conditions to process feelings and experiences, build skills, and reclaim their narratives. Individuals of varying backgrounds can use these tools to be in community as they develop, grow and create methods of healing.

The instructors in this program witnessed amazing growth from participants throughout the process. Long-time facility staff said they had never seen the residents so eager to participate in a program. The staff regularly found participants practicing the skills after the instructors had left. The instructors saw them use the class materials to express their interests, ground their feelings, and expand their creativity.

Professionals and the participants themselves know the program is working through the visible change of attitude and behavior. It’s even having an effect on choices participants make about their time after incarceration. We can see more responsible choices and growth beyond previous bad choices.

The world of theater and the arts encourage and empowers people with an outlet to share personal stories with others, allowing people to learn more about each other’s journeys. Theater and the arts are a source of spreading knowledge and information that can support people where they are with their struggles while also being a source of joy that energizes them as they continue to grow and transform.