Press Release: AIFCS and CFSY Proudly Announce the Release of “Before They Could Dream” Podcast - March 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 10, 2026
AIFCS and CFSY Proudly Announce the Release of “Before They Could Dream” Podcast
(March 10, 2026 – Washington, D.C.) The Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions (AIFCS), the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY), and Green Buzz Agency today announced the release of their podcast, “Before They Could Dream.” Anchored by the stories of six people who were sentenced to long carceral sentences prior to their 18th birthdays, “Before They Could Dream” explores youth incarceration and various connected themes. This podcast, the first of its kind, is the inaugural partnership between the three organizations.
Anchored in the knowledge that the United States incarcerates more youth than any nation in the world, “Before They Could Dream” amplifies the complexities and nuances of those directly impacted by this truth through both first-person accounts and expert insights. “‘Before They Could Dream’ is about more than a story of youth incarceration — it is about who we believe children are and what we believe they deserve,” shares Monique Miles, Vice President at the AIFCS. “When we decide that a young person is beyond redemption, we reveal more about our systems than about that child. By centering lived experience alongside legal and scientific facts, this series challenges us to build a justice system rooted not in permanent punishment, but in accountability, healing, belonging, and hope,” says Miles.
“For those of us who were told as children that our lives were over before they truly began, reclaiming our narrative is an act of liberation,” adds Abd’Allah Lateef, Deputy Director of the CFSY and podcast host. “This series is a testament to our evolution and a challenge to a system that often mistakes a child’s worst moment for their entire identity. We are grateful to our partners at Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions and Green Buzz Agency for making this incredible series possible, to our podcast guests in the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network for bravely sharing their experiences with the world, and to the experts who provided critical insights examining the systemic issues at the heart of this series.”
“Entrusted by the AIFCS and the CFSY, we set out to capture and share powerful stories, transforming them into a human-centric series designed to drive meaningful change in public understanding and policy,” says Tara Wilson, President of Green Buzz Agency.
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For more information, or if you would like to arrange an interview, please contact Adam Kemerer at [email protected] or 412-728-2340; or Ari Jones at [email protected].
About Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions
The Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions (AIFCS) has been a beacon of hope and change for over a decade. AIFCS promotes collaborative, community-based efforts that build the power and influence of those with the least access to opportunity. We support communities to come together to expand mobility, eliminate systemic barriers, and determine their own solutions to their most pressing challenges.
About Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth
The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY) is a national nonprofit that leads efforts to ban juvenile life without parole and other extreme sentences for children. The CFSY works to dismantle the racial disparities, social injustices, and residual harms caused by the legal system. Through partnerships with advocacy organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders, the CFSY actively engages, supports, and centers the needs of survivors of youth violence, those incarcerated as children who are still serving or have been released, and their respective families and communities.
About Green Buzz Agency
Green Buzz Agency’s mission is to tell compelling stories that inspire action and evoke emotion, through a commitment to our clients, team and creative excellence.
