Youth Justice Advocate Yarelis Leonardo ’25 Secures Empire State Fellowship
Current Job: Empire State Fellow, New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), Office of Youth Justice
John Jay College Degree: M.A. in Criminal Justice
Advanced Certificate: Race and Crime
Mentor: Gloria Browne-Marshall, Professor of Constitutional Law
Hometown: Harlem, NY
Career Aspiration: Judge
What was life like before John Jay College?
I grew up in Harlem, in a single-parent Dominican American household. I’m the youngest of four kids and our family is a very tight-knit unit. My mom, Arelis, came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic. Throughout all our lives, she instilled in us a drive to succeed in our educational journeys. Learning was at the core of everything we did.
We lived on public assistance and shared a very small two-bedroom apartment, getting by on just $250 a week for all five of us. Mom worked at a local discount store to put food on the table. Seeing her work hard every day to keep a roof over our heads, pay every bill on time, and make sure we had everything we needed was inspiring. I wanted to help, so I started bagging groceries at my local supermarket when I was eight years old.
Getting a job early taught me the value of hard work, community engagement, financial responsibility, and seeking growth opportunities. Most importantly, it gave me deep appreciation and respect for everything my mom did for my siblings and me. All four of us are college graduates with multiple degrees and successful careers. We accomplished so much because of her sacrifices and love. Even though my mom now has dementia, I know she is deeply proud of us. Every success and win I have is dedicated to her.
What inspired you to work in youth advocacy?
From an early age, I knew I wanted to work in the criminal justice field because I was driven to help people, especially young people, break cycles and get out of bad situations. Growing up in Harlem, I witnessed how incarceration and poverty could trap young people and entire families. So many of my neighbors and peers felt they had a few options for succeeding in life. The community I lived in had very limited resources, so the pathway to success wasn’t clear. If kids saw their friends and family members join gangs, they might have felt that that’s the only way to support their families and survive in this world.
Thankfully, I had older siblings who showed me what was possible: an education, a career, and social mobility. Succeeding outside the community was also something I deeply wanted for myself. I remember one year coming across a pamphlet for the Fresh Air Fund, taking it to my mom, and saying I wanted to participate in the program over the summer. Through the Fresh Air Fund, I was able to live with a family—a mom, dad, and kids with a basketball court in their backyard—in the suburbs of Pennsylvania. The experience was so transformative because I saw that there was a world outside of Harlem. I gained a different outlook and saw life from another point of view.
That Fresh Air Fund program was an experience I had, but so many of my friends and kids in the neighborhood did not. And, in many ways, it led to my work in youth advocacy. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of system-impacted youths. I wanted to show them that their lives could be different.
Why John Jay?
Once I obtained my bachelor’s degree from SUNY Plattsburgh, I knew I wanted to get a master’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay. The College is world-renowned for its criminal justice curriculum and its alumni who often serve in public service leadership roles. My brother, Jesse Paez, was also an adjunct professor at the College for a few years, so I was aware of the incredible campus environment at John Jay.
What classroom experiences help inform your work today?
All my classes at John Jay gave me a deeper understanding of the criminal justice system and the law. They each provided me with the framework, knowledge, and leadership skills I needed to navigate the system and help support people trying to reenter society. One class always stands out in my mind, my culture and identity course with Professor Gloria Browne-Marshall. The lessons I learned in that class were healing for me because I often felt disconnected from my Dominican roots growing up in the States. Her class showed me that my culture didn’t define my identity, and vice versa.
What has your work with juvenile and criminal justice entailed?
My work with Horizon Juvenile Center gave me the strongest backbone. At a juvenile center, the role of a youth development specialist mirrors that of a correctional officer, but without the use of weapons. It was long days, sometimes going without a break. I was assigned a housing unit of about 30 juveniles. The center had glass walls, so the detainees could see each other. If they were from rival gangs and saw each other, that obviously led to tension and fights breaking out. I would have to physically help break them up. My goal was to de-escalate and help when a crisis broke out. I wanted to keep both the detained youth and staff safe.
My work as manager of reentry services at Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO) is something I take great pride in because I helped change people’s lives, established new initiatives to reintegrate people into society, and even created an internship program for John Jay students. As the reentry services manager at GOSO, I visited Rikers Island twice a week and created individualized plans for justice-involved young men preparing to leave the prison system.
Because GOSO offers wraparound services, when I met with these individuals, I provided resources and connected them with programs focused on their emotional well-being, employment, educational opportunities, and restorative justice. As a manager, I went to the courts in every borough, advocating on their behalf. I was also working with GOSO’s leadership to speak with policymakers, talk to folks at City Hall, and help secure grants to support GOSO’s incredible work.
How does your background positively impact your work?
I think it makes me a more credible messenger because I’m working predominantly with people of color from New York City. When I mention I’m from Harlem, people will say, “Oh, I know someone who lives there,” and that instantly connects us. They get that I’m local and understand the lingo. So, when I tell them these are the steps they need to take to get out of the system and be successful, they know I’m being honest with them.
In the past, when I was in court advocating on someone’s behalf, I was often the only Latina in the room, surrounded by Caucasian men in suits. I felt intimidated, but I also knew that a young defendant of color, trying to navigate a complicated legal system, would feel even more nervous. Once, when I was working at GOSO, I was advocating on behalf of a young man facing five years in prison. In court, five attorneys believed he showed no remorse during his interview, and they wanted to deny him an alternative to incarceration (ATI) for his first gun charge. I knew my client felt intimidated by these men and didn’t trust them. He wasn’t going to share how he truly felt. They saw him as just a statistic, I saw him as a human being. I fought hard for him, and he was eventually granted admittance into the ATI program. That young man went on to graduate from college, land an internship at Warner Bros., and is now working full-time.
What was the process like applying to be an Empire State Fellow?
Being chosen as one of the 10 winners of the Empire State Fellowship, out of 500 applicants, was long, but it was an incredible feeling when I won it. At each stage, from 500 to the top 30 and then to the finalists, I was amazed to keep moving forward. I remember feeling really nervous during the first interview, sitting in a room with eight interviewers, all leaders in their fields and heads of their agencies. I talked about my background and career journey, and shared my story. One of the interviewers told me I reminded her of Rossana Rosado, Commissioner of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and a John Jay alumna. That was such a compliment because Rossana Rosado has achieved so much in her career, so being compared to her was a real honor. It made me realize that being myself was enough, because they saw my potential.
What is it like to be an Empire State Fellow with DCJS?
Currently, in my role with DCJS is at the Office of Youth Justice. I’m working with nonprofits and reviewing proposals and grants. I also support senior leadership by using data to analyze policies and evaluate programs, which helps the agency make informed decisions about funding. I’m also helping organize a youth panel and a systems panel for the youth justice conference in May.
Beyond the work, as a fellow, there’s also an educational component, where we meet biweekly with different commissioners to learn more about their agencies and the work they do with various organizations. As fellows, we also have to present a capstone on a policy that doesn’t currently exist. The policy we create will be presented to Governor Hochul and may, potentially, become law.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being an Empire State Fellow?
Having a seat at the table and being part of the decision-making process. As a fellow, I get to sit in rooms with New York State leaders who are creating and shaping policy that will have a real impact on communities.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I hope to have graduated from law school and be a practicing attorney. My ultimate goal is to be a judge.
Please finish this sentence: Because of John Jay…
I have my master’s degree in criminal justice, and the doors of opportunity have opened for me.
