Our Story
Path to Freedom: A Mission Born from Experience
Path to Freedom: Prevention with Purpose
Path to Freedom is more than an initiative—it’s a mission to prevent harm before it happens. Born from lived experience, it was created to disrupt the cycle of incarceration by addressing the overlooked pain points that often lead to criminal behavior: trauma, lack of mental health support, and broken communication.
We exist to protect future victims by offering real solutions to the people and systems most in need of change.
The Reality That Drives Us
From Lived Experience to Lifesaving Action
Through years of personal and professional encounters with individuals impacted by incarceration—on both sides of the system—I witnessed how untreated trauma, isolation, and hopelessness often escalate into actions that hurt others. I’ve seen people who never got the tools they needed, and I’ve seen the damage that causes—not just to them, but to families, communities, and innocent lives.
Prevention begins with understanding. Change begins with accountability and access.
Breaking the Cycle, Restoring Lives
Solutions Rooted in Healing and Responsibility
At Path to Freedom, we focus on early intervention—equipping incarcerated individuals with trauma-informed communication tools, mental health resources, and reintegration support that address the root causes of reoffending.
Because when people learn to manage pain in healthy ways, they stop passing it on. And that means fewer victims, safer communities, and more healed lives.
Our Commitment
We Stand in the Gap—Before and After Release
We’re not just here to support reentry—we’re here to prevent the harm that often comes before and after it. We reject systems that ignore trauma until it explodes. Path to Freedom fills that gap by providing the tools, guidance, and accountability needed to make true rehabilitation possible.
Every person we reach is one less risk to the people they love—and the people they’ve yet to
Our Vision
Breaking the Cycle. Restoring Lives.
Founded by Barbara Abernathy, a mother, advocate, and visionary, Path to Freedom was born from both lived experience and a bold belief: that healing—not punishment—is the true path to safer communities. What began as a personal mission has grown into a national movement to end the cycle of incarceration through compassion, accountability, and early intervention.
Our Approach: Solutions Rooted in Healing and Responsibility
At Path to Freedom, we equip incarcerated individuals with trauma-informed communication tools, mental health resources, and practical reintegration support. Our work begins before release—because waiting until someone exits the system is too late.
We believe that when people learn to process pain in healthy, accountable ways, they stop passing it on. That means fewer victims. Safer families. And more lives transformed by purpose, not punishment.
We Stand in the Gap—Before and After Release
Rehabilitation isn’t a moment; it’s a process. And too often, the systems meant to support it only show up when it’s already too late. Path to Freedom fills that critical gap—offering tools, guidance, and support to help people grow before they reenter society, and continue that growth long after.
Every person we reach is one less risk to the people they love—and to the people they’ve yet to meet. Every toolkit we deliver is a step toward generational healing.
Meet Our Team
Barbara Abernathy
Chief Executive Officer
Haley Davis
Secretary and Treasurer
Quadare
Youth Voice for Change
Keara Wright
Director of Justice Reform and Research Strategy
Desiree DeLuca
Director of Mental Health and Clinical Strategy
Juliana Bernal
Director of Philanthropy and Donor Engagement