At age 16, Rahson Johnson was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
Shortly after his release, he went on to become a violence interrupter with Save Our Streets, a New York anti-gun violence organization, where he now uses his experience to listen to kids and promote safety and de-escalation in his Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights.
“The challenge for me was going back to the community that I wanted to destroy, that I was hurt by, and being able to make change,” said Johnson.
Save Our Streets defuses conflicts and mentors youth in the Bronx and Brooklyn by providing professional development resources, building community relationships and focusing on healing.
“It’s not an approach where we feel like you should be somewhere — we meet you where you are,” said Mubarak Ahmad, an education and employment strategist at Save Our Streets.
In the video above, learn more about how Save Our Streets works to prevent gun violence in Crown Heights. Find out more about the nonprofit organization here.
