Our Mission
We help youth and young adults when they need it most, consistently wrapping our arms around them
with programs and support that give them a fair shot to succeed in life.
What We Do
• EARN TRUST on the streets by consistently showing up during tough times and nurturing real relationships. That credibility gives us a voice when it matters most—in preventing violence and stepping in before situations escalate
• PROVIDE STRATEGIC AND TRAINED RESPONSE to escalating conflicts and young people prone to violence
• WORK IN PARTNERSHIP with human services, public health and public safety organizations to take a three-pronged approach to curbing violence—preventing it before it happens, intervening when tensions rise, and providing support after incidents occur
• MENTOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS while connecting them and their families to the resources and support services they need to stabilize their lives
How We Do It
We exist to help youth and young adults throughout King County stabilize their lives with safe housing, job opportunities, and by advocating to keep them out of jail.
And for those who end up tangled in the justice system, we're there every step of the way. Our goal? Replace the school-to-prison pipeline with a school-to-life success pipeline.
Here's how: Our Community Intervention Professionals respond to conflict in real-time, mentor young people facing violence, and connect them to housing, jobs, education, and mental health support. We work directly with schools to implement restorative justice practices—focusing on healing rather than simply punishing. We coordinate with law enforcement and social services to keep youth out of handcuffs and jail cells. And we show up—in neighborhoods, in court, at critical moments—whenever and wherever young people need us.
When others give up on young people,
we show up for them.
Impact
Since 2017, Community Passageways has worked with over 100 young people with felony charges with the aim of diverting their charges and keeping them in the community.* In the end, most of them spent no time in detention and the average young person saw an 80% reduction in their length of sentencing. The young people kept in the community through their dedication and our support have gone on to enroll in college, start businesses, graduate from high school, and help rebuild our communities.
311
years
cumulative reduction
received no prison time
59
370
years
years
They received
They were collectively facing
Diverted
70%
84%
*Community Passageways has worked with hundreds of young people and their families in other capacities.