09Field Notes

Perspectives on juvenile justice & trauma-informed practice.

Articles and field notes from Aakeem Woodard on building programs that work for justice-involved young people — drawn from lived experience and two decades of practice.

FFS

Mentoring

From 6 Schools to 23: What Scaling a Mentoring Program Actually Taught Me

Growing Reach inside the Fulton County District Attorney's Office was not a story of more staff. It was a story of better architecture — and a few hard lessons about what scales and what does not.

October 2, 2026

FFS

Trauma-Informed Care

Why Trauma-Informed Practice Is Not Soft on Accountability

The misconception that trauma-informed work lowers standards keeps programs stuck. Done right, it raises them — because it meets young people where they actually are.

September 18, 2026