Reimagining what’s possible

We imagine a future in which:

Diversion is no longer the exception; it’s the default. Youth are referred to healing-centered alternatives before they ever touch the legal system.
Every young person is met with care, not courtrooms. Intervention looks like mentorship, mental health support, and community, not charges, detention, or isolation.
CHOOSE 180’s model is embedded into public systems. Our approach is no longer just a community program, but part of how schools, courts, and policymakers invest in youth success.
The leadership table reflects lived experience. Young people who have navigated criminalization are the ones shaping the policies, practices, and narratives that replace it.

“I choose 180 because we all need a fresh start and people who believe in us, and I want to be part of that.”

- Program Participant

Shifting the Narrative

Systems of change

CHOOSE 180 staff member speaking with participant

Healing instead of punishment

We combine support for young people in critical moments with restorative programs that provide resources for continued healing.

Programs

Community member and staff member smiling

Community over courtrooms

We need individual, community, and system level transformation to break the cycle of youth criminalization and our society’s reliance on systems of punishment.

Impact