MISSION STATEMENT

REAL strives to provide an exit ramp for directly impacted youth from the routes of death or incarceration. REAL is convinced that young people who have had to (and continue to) navigate life during and post incarceration, are the best possible guides for others facing the myriad of threats stemming from police violence, incarceration, and community reentry. In order to ensure the safety and growth of directly impacted youth, REAL believes it is not only necessary to offer employment, educational, and recreational opportunities, but also to works towards dismantling the historically racist systems that attack and threaten our community and build power for directly impacted youth in Illinois and beyond.