Detv's One On One With Big Ive

Ian “Jahiti” Smith is a community activist, musician, teacher, and youth advocate who is committed to helping build stronger communities and fostering real change in Wilmington. Since his arrival in Wilmington, Ian has been involved in criminal justice reform and works with the most at-risk youth. Ian also serves as a founding member of Innocence Delaware, which works to exonerate the wrongfully accused. His work within social justice has brought about real change at the individual, community, City, and State level. Currently, Ian is the Director of Delaware’s Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), an organization that provides re-entry support to juveniles returning to the community from Delaware’s secure placement facilities. Under his leadership, since 2016, the program has grown to a staff of 16 advocates serving over 150 youth versus 2 advocates serving 2 youth at the time he took over the program. Through his efforts, a grant was awarded to YAP through the Criminal Justice Council allowing his work to expand t