Founded in 2000, Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) is an award-winning nonprofit serving Bay Area youth impacted by the justice system. FLY serves more than 2,000 youth ages 11-25 throughout the Bay Area each year. We offer programs in four Bay Area Counties, and San Francisco, and advocate at local and state levels to disrupt the pipeline to prison.

OUR MISSION

FLY’s Vision
FLY envisions a country where all kids grow up valued and supported, and the pipeline to prison is replaced with meaningful opportunities for kids to live healthy, free, and productive lives that make stronger, safer, and more vibrant communities for us all.

When FLY was founded in 2000, we were guided by the input of youth in the juvenile justice system to create programs grounded in legal education, mentoring, and leadership training. Over the past 22 years, we have continuously sought the input of young people impacted by the justice system to grow and evolve our program offerings. We seek to elevate the voices of young people to make our systems more equitable, just, and humane.

We are on a trajectory that aspires to move from service for some to justice for all.

Our programs connect young people with positive mentors and role models, promote their understanding of the law and their rights, and support them to become leaders among their peers and in their communities.

FLY participates in local and state level advocacy work to change policies and practices that sustain the pipeline to prison. Together with our young people, we also help our justice systems become more just, humane, and equitable. As a result, FLY increases safety and decreases the costs and consequences of crime.