Leading in Her Own Shoes: Elizabeth Frederick and the Future of Justice That Listens

When Elizabeth “Liz” Frederick was first introduced to Avenues for Justice (AFJ), she had no intention of launching a decades-long career in youth justice. She was a graduate student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, curious about the gap between theory and lived experience. Her professor connected her with Angel Rodriguez, AFJ’s co-founder, and a 30-minute meeting turned into a two-hour conversation that changed everything.

That night, Liz walked out of the Manhattan criminal courthouse with something bigger than an academic insight. She found purpose. She found a mission. And as she puts it, she found a movement.

Now, nearly twenty years later, Liz leads that movement as Executive Director.

Her rise through AFJ, from operations staffer to Chief Operating Officer to unanimously appointed Executive Director in 2024, is not just a story of institutional knowledge or professional growth. It is a story of vision, of leadership shaped by experience, and of a woman who chose to define success in her own terms.

She does not fill someone else’s shoes. She wears her own.

From Operations to Executive Leadership

Liz’s career arc defies traditional leadership narratives. She did not arrive at AFJ to take over. She arrived to learn. And over the years, she touched nearly every part of the organization.

She built operational infrastructure. She secured major grants and doubled the organization’s financial capacity. She helped scale AFJ’s presence across all five boroughs of New York City while keeping its identity deeply local. When the time came for a new leader to step in, there was no doubt among the board or her team that Liz was already walking the walk.

Her leadership style is rooted in presence. She listens. She invests in her team. And she leads with full awareness of the social and structural dynamics that shape the work. Being a Black woman at the helm of a criminal justice nonprofit is no small weight to carry. It is isolating at times. It requires resolve. But Liz carries it with grace, directness, and a sharp sense of responsibility to the communities AFJ serves.

She does not chase legacy. She focuses on impact.

A Different Kind of Advocacy

At the center of AFJ’s model is a belief that incarceration does not change lives. Opportunity does. The organization supports court-involved and at-risk youth ages 13 to 24 through a community-based model that blends legal advocacy, education, employment readiness, and mental health support.

AFJ’s court advocates form long-term relationships with participants. These relationships are consistent, personalized, and built on trust. Youth are not passed from case manager to case manager. There is no expiration date on their care. Whether their court mandate lasts three months or three years, AFJ walks with them the entire way.

The numbers speak volumes. In 2024 alone, AFJ served 674 participants. Their recidivism rate remains under six percent. More than 65 percent of cases result in deferred or dismissed charges. These are not abstract statistics. These are futures reclaimed.

The organization’s HIRE Up program expands on this impact. It offers after-school programming, academic tutoring, job placement support, and mental health services. AFJ also invests in the environments youth return to, working with families, schools, and communities to ensure the support system is intact, not just during a court case, but long after it ends.

Leadership That Looks Like the Community

One of the most important things Liz has done as a leader is build a team that reflects the people they serve. AFJ staff live in the same neighborhoods as their participants. They understand the complexity of navigating public systems because they have done it themselves or walked alongside someone who has.

This is not representation for optics. It is representation for outcomes.

When youth walk into AFJ’s community centers in Harlem or the Lower East Side, they see people who look like them. They are not treated as problems to solve. They are seen as individuals with potential. They are called participants, not clients. And the P in participant is always capitalized.

This language is intentional. So is the practice behind it.

Redefining What It Means to Lead

Throughout her first year as Executive Director, Liz invested heavily in her team’s development and mental health. She understands that trauma-exposed work has a cost. She also understands that a strong organization cannot be built on burnout.

She has embraced executive coaching, peer support, and learning environments that challenge her to continue growing as a leader. She has worked to quiet the inner critic that often follows women of color into executive roles. She has stopped asking for permission to lead. And she is raising a daughter who reminds her every day to stay curious and ask better questions.

When people tell her she has big shoes to fill, Liz responds simply. She likes her shoes. She has earned them.

The Future of Second Chances

When asked what she hopes the next 45 years of AFJ will look like, Liz gives a surprising answer. She hopes the organization will not exist.

Not because the mission will no longer matter, but because society will have learned that support systems work better than punishment. Because youth will be surrounded by opportunity before they are touched by law enforcement. Because mental health, education, and stable employment will be seen as public responsibilities, not luxury interventions.

Until that day comes, AFJ will keep doing the work. They will keep showing up. And Liz will keep leading with the same energy she brought to that first meeting two decades ago.

A commitment to justice. A belief in people. A refusal to lead from anything other than her whole self.

She is not filling anyone’s shoes.

She is walking forward in her own.

Learn More

Avenues for Justice provides community-based alternatives to incarceration for court-involved and at-risk youth in New York City. Their work is rooted in consistency, care, and long-term impact.

Website: avenuesforjustice.org
Instagram: @avenuesforjustice
YouTube: Avenues for Justice
Contact: efrederick@avenuesforjustice.org