JUVENILE JUSTICE REFORM

ALL CHILDREN DESERVE A CHANCE TO MAKE A MISTAKE AND LEARN FROM IT.

FOUNDER

Darius Pettway

Determined to prove his father wrong about his future, Darius forged a powerful new path in life, only to be hit with the greatest injustice of all.

Darius Pettway, MAS, is a passionate author, educator, and youth advocate who believes in the power of faith, sacrifice, and the strength of family. Using his knowledge of the juvenile justice system, Darius has vowed to give his time, efforts, and hope to those youth who may otherwise be overlooked. He has spent all his energy counseling and managing the behavior of countless young men and women in underserved communities, including residential and independent living centers, School Districts, and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

In December of 2014, he became the first in his family as a student-athlete to earn not only a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice but was inducted into the National Criminal Justice Honors Society and later earned a master’s degree in Administrative Science. With his vision and commitment to inspire change by never giving up, Darius has made it his life goal to empower youth to unlock their hidden potential.

ABOUT

Darius Pettway

Darius Pettway was raised on the streets of Detroit. The way he was going, he was either headed for a life of drugs and long prison sentences or he’d be dead within months. Raised by a single mom, who tried to keep him on the straight and narrow path, Darius found the streets of Detroit had a stronger call on his choices than church and football. Friends and close family members dropped like flies around him—either locked up for decades or shot dead by rival gang members and pissed-off drug dealers. Along the way, someone always showed up to help—a teacher, a football coach, or a family member; but it was never enough to make Darius change … until he was in prison for the fourth time, and he knew this was his last chance to either change or die.

History

Life Skool was founded and established in 2020 by Mr. Darius Pettway as a program aimed at breaking the cycle of incarceration for vulnerable young males by intervening in the lives of youth who are most vulnerable to entering the juvenile justice or adult correctional system. Through innovative leadership development programs, empowering conferences, and opportunities for higher education and skill trades, Life Skool equips and empowers young individuals with limited resources with the tools they need to succeed and secure a promising future. Life Skool has played a significant role in shaping policies and practices related to juvenile justice, emphasizing rehabilitation, prevention, and the overall well-being of young adults involved in the system. Our work continues to evolve as society’s understanding and willingness to act on juvenile justice issues deepens and as efforts to reform the system progress to restore hope and opportunity to young adults far beyond their early stages of life.