Aishvarya, a rising senior at a Johns Creek high school, was researching menstrual equity in correctional facilities when she discovered the need to support incarcerated youth. She decided to take action and launched a volunteer effort that has grown into the youth-led organization TimeForJustice.

Humanizing Incarcerated Youth

TimeForJustice aims to mobilize volunteers to support young people in Georgia’s juvenile justice system. Aishvarya’s first donation drive collected over $2,000 worth of hygiene supplies, including period products and ethnic hair care products. The organization has since expanded to include volunteer events and storytelling projects to help the public see incarcerated youth beyond their labels.

Aishvarya’s work highlights the importance of access to basic necessities, such as menstrual products, for incarcerated individuals. The Georgia Department of Corrections has enacted a standard operating procedure requiring free access to menstrual products in state prisons and detention centers, but local or municipal jails are exempt from this policy.

Aishvarya’s advocacy also focuses on changing public perception of incarcerated youth. She believes that people should not be defined by their worst moment and that they deserve resources, rehabilitation, and support to become productive members of society.

TimeForJustice has inspired other students to launch similar donation drives, and Aishvarya hopes that her work will encourage others to make a difference. She believes that anyone can create change, regardless of their age or credentials, and that it all begins with trying.

Original reporting: SaportaReport — read the source article.