Catching young people before systems fail them is no longer just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic economic and societal necessity. With youth incarceration rates still disproportionately affecting under-resourced communities, leaders like Yusef-Andre Wiley are stepping in to redefine what prevention and empowerment can truly look like. Through his decades of experience, Wiley has emerged as a pioneer in trauma-informed, human-centered youth intervention. His work doesn’t wait for a crisis—it actively prevents one.
Wiley’s philosophy is simple yet revolutionary: shift the focus from punishment to empowerment, and design environments where at-risk youth are not judged, but guided. His lived experience gives him a rare credibility with the youth he serves. As a formerly incarcerated individual who now runs nationally recognized mentorship, rehabilitative, and empowerment programs, Wiley understands the intricate road from marginalization to reintegration. Now, he’s dedicated his life to making sure others don’t have to walk that road alone.
At the heart of Wiley’s mission is the Timelist Group, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reentry and prevention through housing, mentoring, and community-based programming. While Timelist is well-known for its support of justice-involved individuals post-incarceration, Wiley has increasingly expanded its work upstream—focusing on those vulnerable to justice involvement in the first place. His approach is rooted in what he calls “uprooting incarceration before it starts.”
That means offering youth real-world tools, mentorship from people they trust, and early intervention strategies that meet them where they are, not where the system assumes they’ll go. These aren’t just lectures or one-time seminars. Wiley and his team create ongoing engagements that build trust, uncover trauma, and unlock potential. His methods are deeply collaborative, blending lived experience with strategic consulting expertise and a passion for transformation.
Wiley isn’t working in isolation. As a speaker, consultant, and member of the John Maxwell Team, he’s partnering with nonprofit executives, local leaders, and TEDx alumni to expand the reach of his model. His consulting services are now being used to help other organizations implement similar trauma-informed, youth-focused programs—because Wiley believes this work must be replicable, not just inspirational.
“Too often, we wait until a child is already in the system to decide they need help,” Wiley has said in past interviews. “But by then, the damage is done. We should be building communities where kids feel seen, where they know they matter, and where adults are ready to listen before they’re ready to judge.”
This ideology is gaining traction. Wiley’s model includes youth workshops, restorative justice circles, leadership training, and access to essential life resources—employment support, housing pathways, and skill development. The goal: replace criminalization with community, and hopelessness with guided purpose.
And it’s working. Hundreds of young people have already gone through Timelist’s programming and emerged with employment opportunities, academic goals, and restored relationships. The ripple effects are being felt far beyond the classroom or community center, extending into families, local economies, and civic institutions.
The foundation of all this work is trust. Wiley believes that real change in underserved communities doesn’t come from mandates or surveillance—it comes from consistent presence and relational accountability. His trauma-informed leadership style involves addressing root causes, not just symptoms, and equipping youth to self-regulate, dream bigger, and reject the labels imposed by circumstance.
In an era where policy is often reactive, Wiley’s work is a beacon for those looking to invest in prevention rather than incarceration. His message is clear: the best way to change the system is to catch kids before they catch charges.
For school districts, nonprofits, and city governments looking for solutions, Wiley offers more than a motivational speech—he delivers a roadmap. His consulting practice is helping communities across the country adapt his model and scale their impact, offering them something more than hope: a strategy that works.
Youth needs more than programs. They need leaders who see their potential before anyone else does. Through his unique blend of lived wisdom, professional strategy, and unshakable belief in human potential, Yusef-Andre Wiley is proving that we can catch them before the system ever has to.
