New Year, New Faces: Jason Joins the Atlas HOPE Team

New Year, New Faces: Jason Joins the Atlas HOPE Team

01/23/2025

As we enter 2025, we’re excited to introduce some new members of the Fortune community! 

In 2023, Jason first connected with The Fortune Society after spending 15 years in prison. He sought help finding employment and enrolled in Fortune’s three-week career readiness workshop. Since then, he has achieved remarkable professional success, first participating in the Bloomberg Fellowship and most recently joining the Atlas HOPE—Healing, Opportunity, Progress, Empowerment—team.

As a community navigator, Jason outreaches vulnerable men in the South Bronx community and refers them to Atlas HOPE. He provides specialized support to eligible participants and remains active in their reentry journeys. He conducts home visits as needed, transports them to work or court in the Atlas Sprinter van, and connects them with vital Fortune services.

“It’s important as a community navigator to be someone that they can talk to or ask for help,” Jason said. “When you have gone through the things these men have, you see the world in a certain way. We do our best to reframe their mindsets about the world around them.”

While incarcerated, Jason learned about restorative justice, a rehabilitative model that emphasizes the importance of accountability, responsibility and repairing harm. He attended a restorative justice retreat with other incarcerated people and outside community members, including family members who lost a loved one to violence, where he learned about conflict resolution, mediation and other restorative justice practices.  

“That was the first time I ever had to face someone like a mother who lost their child to violence in the streets, and it was a tough conversation,” Jason shared. “Restorative justice is about community, but also about accountability. I was forced to take accountability for my actions, and it changed my mindset.”

Throughout his time at Fortune, Jason has honed his activist voice. He is a passionate supporter of restorative justice, and in his current role with Atlas HOPE, he draws guidance from restorative, people-first practices. 

As a community navigator, Jason is the initial contact for Atlas participants at Fortune. He emphasized that, when working with participants and other staff members, he treats everyone equally regardless of their title. To Jason, a large part of restorative justice is ensuring everyone’s voice matters.  

"I want to pass along what I have learned to other people in my community," Jason said. "In my work, I also make sure to tell our participants to speak up. I want them to express how they feel and stand up for themselves and what they need." 

Jason continues his activism by sharing his experiences with others. Since connecting with Fortune, Jason has spoken on a panel with Bronx Works for the #CloseRikers campaign, and he regularly speaks in classes at the Brooklyn Law School about restorative justice practices. As the students prepare to enter their law careers, Jason hopes his perspective will impact how they approach their work.

“It’s important to remind them that, when they go to their jobs, not to forget that these are real people,” Jason said. “We need to have those conversations and try to find ways to get on the same page and work together.”

Jason has ambitious professional goals, all deeply rooted in activism. Through Fortune, Jason has found power in sharing his story, and as he moves forward in his career, he will continue to amplify the voices of those in his community.

“I appreciate everything that Fortune has done for me,” Jason shared. “They have given me a platform and so many opportunities to share my experiences. I want to pass what I have learned along to other people and keep putting myself and my voice out there.”

CATEGORIES:
TAGS:
Share this Event
Back
NEED SERVICES?
Learn how Fortune Society can help you