In Dallas, the juvenile justice system stands at a crossroads, facing a crisis that threatens the future of our youth and, by extension, the fabric of our community. At the heart of this crisis is a systemic failure to provide meaningful alternatives to detention, a failure that not only exacerbates the challenges facing vulnerable children but also ignores the transformative power of mentorship.

In the multi-tiered educational landscape of the Dallas Independent School District (DISD), the echoes of a deeply entrenched and problematic doctrine reverberate through the hallways, classrooms, and policy-making chambers. This doctrine, far from the egalitarian principles the public school system professes to uphold, effectively ensnares poor families in a cycle of educational deprivation and diminished opportunities.