Our Story

Robin Benham earned her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Master of Public Administration from Texas Southern University, a Historically Black University where her studies focused heavily on child psychology, systemic inequities, and the school-to-prison pipeline.

Throughout both her undergraduate and graduate education, Robin intentionally centered her work around understanding how trauma, environment, education systems, and institutional failures shape the trajectory of youth long before incarceration ever occurs.

Driven by a desire to serve communities directly and help create better outcomes for vulnerable individuals and families, Robin spent nearly seven years working with the Georgia Public Defender Council, where she worked alongside legal teams, investigators, and impacted families navigating complex criminal justice systems.

The Azriel Collective was first envisioned in early 2020 after her son’s life was unexpectedly turned upside down. What began as a deeply personal journey toward healing, understanding, and breaking generational cycles eventually evolved into a broader mission centered on prevention, restorative justice, accountability, and community healing.

Robin began writing Raising Justice at the end of 2020 as a way to process pain, reflect on systemic realities, and create something that could help other youth and families feel seen. The book became an urban reflection of the school-to-prison pipeline, trauma, survival, and the emotional weight many families carry in silence.

Although the project was originally written with her son JeVion in mind, he never had the opportunity to read it before his passing while incarcerated at Valdosta State Prison in 2025.

Today, Robin continues using her voice, professional background, lived experience, and advocacy work to create conversations around prevention, healing, restorative justice, and systems accountability, with the hope that other families may one day experience different outcomes.