From a childhood marked by hardship, Adam transformed his life through education and resilience, ultimately pursuing a master's degree in journalism to uplift underrepresented communities and advocate for social justice.
Angelique, Lead Coordinator of the Jefferson County Restore program and founder of the WE WIN Organization, passionately empowers at-risk teens and women through case management, mentoring, and therapeutic services, drawing on her own experiences to inspire change.
Autumn, a Certified Doula and Peer Support Professional, advocates for families affected by the criminal justice system, leveraging her own healing journey from incarceration to educate and empower them while actively participating in policy change and community initiatives.
Dena is a dedicated advocate for justice reform and community rebuilding in Alabama, serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the Offender Alumni Association and founding programs like "Heroes in the Hood" to empower those affected by institutional challenges.
Noble is a leader and activist with over a decade of experience in restorative justice, empowering people to embrace authenticity and vulnerability through his work with the Transformational Prison Project, teaching at prestigious universities, and engaging in community initiatives that promote healing and inclusivity.
Heather, a resilient advocate for women in the legal system and a survivor of addiction and incarceration, uses her powerful storytelling and advocacy work to inspire courageous self-change, while highlighting the need for transformative narratives in her writing and social work.
Overcoming a turbulent childhood marked by bullying and incarceration, John transformed his life through education and self-acceptance, ultimately earning a Master’s Degree in Social Work and now advocating for young adults in the justice system.
Marci leverages her experiences to advocate for justice reform and educate the public on the unique challenges faced by women in incarceration, all while promoting healing and empowerment within her community.
NaJei dedicates her life to advocating for incarcerated women and supporting their reintegration into society through volunteer programs, while also mentoring youth and promoting community education on self-advocacy and legislation.
Nicole champions social change and empowerment for marginalized communities as the CEO of the Talk2mefoundation and founder of The Sisters of Support house, leveraging her personal journey to advocate for justice reform and provide vital resources for justice-impacted individuals and their families.
Armand Coleman, with over eight years of experience in developing and leading Restorative Justice programs, is a key facilitator at TPP, mentors youth through Roxbury District Court's CHOICE Program, and coordinates volunteer development and community outreach at Communities for Restorative Justice, while also contributing to Harvard Kennedy School’s Roundtable on Racial Disparities in Massachusetts Courts.
Eddie B. Ellis Jr., a reentry advocate and consultant, founded One by 1, Inc. and leverages his experience as a formerly incarcerated person to build safer communities through training, mentorship, and support for reintegration, while also serving as the Co-Director of Outreach & Member Services at the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth.
Jessie D. Mabrey is a dedicated advocate for justice-impacted women and children, leveraging over 15 years of experience to support their reentry into society through affordable housing, mental health resources, and tailored programming, driven by her belief that "where you’ve been is not who you are."
After being sentenced to 40 years to life at just 15, JJ’88 used music as a source of hope and healing while transforming himself and supporting others in prison, ultimately becoming a key organizer for justice reform in California and now creates impactful art as a free artist.
After serving 31 years of a life sentence given at age 17, John was resentenced and paroled, and since his release, he has dedicated himself to supporting other former juvenile lifers in their reentry journeys, earning recognition for his advocacy work and serving as Senior Reentry Coordinator at the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project in Philadelphia.
Kareemah. a dedicated advocate for criminal justice reform and reentry, has combined her experiences and education in psychology and social change to empower youth and support rights restoration efforts.
Kristel is a passionate advocate for harm reduction and higher education accessibility, currently pursuing a degree in Microbial Biology at UC Berkeley while working to strengthen the prison-to-university pipeline and supporting unhoused individuals in their reintegration into society.
A formerly incarcerated criminal justice reform advocate and founder of Woman With a Plan, Tabatha empowers women impacted by the Georgia legal system through mentorship and support services while sharing her own journey of overcoming obstacles to regain custody of her children after incarceration.
Thaisan, a Cambodian genocide survivor who was once sentenced to life without parole, is now an advocate for ending LWOP sentences and immigrant rights, working with organizations like the National LWOP Leadership Council and the South East Asian Freedom Network to promote family unity and second chances.
April, the Statewide Coordinator for the Young Women’s Freedom Center and Sister Warrior’s Freedom Coalition, passionately advocates for the rights of currently and formerly incarcerated women and girls, leveraging her own 17 years of experience in the carceral system to inspire change, raise awareness about unfair sentencing, and push for legislative reforms that promote equality and justice.
Donna is an activist and author who advocates for women and girls affected by intersectional trauma, focusing on issues such as domestic violence, police brutality, and incarceration, while also contributing to significant legislation like the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act and leading her own nonprofit, A Little Piece of Light, to empower survivors and promote healing through education and community support.
Kent Mendoza is a dedicated community organizer and activist at the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, leveraging his experiences to advocate for youth justice reform, mentor at-risk youth, and contribute to initiatives that promote positive change in the juvenile justice system.
Through powerful storytelling and vivid artistic expression, Columbus-born filmmaker and playwright Twyana Davis brings light to social injustices, trauma, and the voices of the system-impacted, inspiring audiences to think beyond boundaries and embrace change.
Fernando, wrongfully convicted of murder and imprisoned for over 18 years, was exonerated in 2009, becoming the first Latin-American male in New York to be cleared on actual innocence grounds, and has since transformed his life into a powerful advocacy and public speaking career while pursuing his creative passions.
Andrew, once labeled a “juvenile lifer,” transformed his life after becoming the first in Louisiana to be paroled under new rulings, and now leads the Louisiana Parole Project to help others with extreme sentences reintegrate and thrive.
Nelson Morris, a Project Associate at Restore Justice, dedicates his efforts to community outreach and fundraising while mentoring youth and teaching advocacy courses, all after spending 29 years in prison for a crime committed at 17, from which he was granted a new sentence following the Supreme Court’s Miller decision.
Page Dukes is a core organizer with Mourning Our Losses and Georgia Freedom Letters, and a Communications Associate at the Southern Center for Human Rights, where she advocates for awareness about incarceration while serving on boards that support families affected by imprisonment and promote equitable education access, all driven by her vision for a future where no one is forgotten or locked away.
Shannon Ross, the Executive Director of The Community, founded the organization while serving a 17-year prison sentence to address the criminal justice system's impact through proactive educational initiatives and narrative change. Since his release in 2020, he has expanded his advocacy as a graduate student, podcast host, and entrepreneur focused on supporting system-impacted individuals.
Waleisah Wilson is a passionate criminal justice reform activist and organizer who founded NewLife Second Chance Outreach, Inc. to provide essential employment services and workshops for individuals with criminal convictions, while advocating for disability justice, an end to solitary confinement and mass incarceration, and the removal of barriers to reentry.
Bobby Gonzales is a Hip Hop artist and advocate for justice reform who founded the acclaimed "Away With Words" Art & Music Program while incarcerated to help others process emotions and showcase their talents.
Artist Halim A. Flowers turned his experience sentenced to life at the age of 16 into 11 published works through his company SATO Communications. He was released in 2019 and has since earned prestigious fellowships and representation for his visual art.
Herman, the 135th person exonerated from death row in the U.S. and the 23rd from Florida, views his wrongful conviction as a lesson that fuels his advocacy for criminal justice reform, trauma awareness, and the abolition of the death penalty, as he now works with at-risk youth and speaks internationally on these crucial issues.
Jarrett, a passionate advocate for criminal justice reform, was released in 2019 after serving 20 years for a crime committed at 16, and now works to drive change in the foster care system, end life sentences for children, and improve rehabilitative resources for those reentering society, drawing from his own painful experiences to inspire others.
Kerry, Deputy Director of the Louisiana Parole Project and an award-winning journalist dedicated to aiding parole-eligible individuals who were sentenced to life as children, spent 27 years fighting for his own exoneration after being wrongfully convicted of murder. He now advocates for justice reform through his writing and public speaking.
Michelle Cirocco, Chief Social Responsibility Officer for Televerde and Executive Director of the Televerde Foundation, has been recognized as one of the World-Changing Women in Conscious Business and is committed to using her leadership to advocate for second chances while actively volunteering in her community.
Norris Henderson, Founder and Executive Director of VOTE and Voters Organized to Educate, leverages his 27 years of wrongful incarceration to advocate for public policy reform in areas like police accountability and public defense, while actively working to uplift communities of color across Louisiana through various leadership roles and community outreach.
Paine The Poet, a spoken word artist and activist from Columbus, OH, uses his poetry and personal experience as a formerly incarcerated individual to advocate for the disenfranchised, disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline through high school poetry courses, and prepare incarcerated youth for reintegration into society.
Tyra Patterson, an artist and activist serving as the Community Outreach Strategist at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center, utilizes her lived experience to educate legal professionals, advocate for policy reform—such as the ban on life sentences without parole for children in Ohio—and integrate art into the narrative of justice-impacted individuals.
Xavier McElrath-Bey, Executive Director of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth and Co-Founder of the Incarcerated Children's Advocacy Network, champions the human rights of incarcerated children by advocating for the abolition of life without parole and other extreme sentences for youth. Drawing from his own experience of being charged as an adult for murder at 13 and serving 13 years in prison before becoming a dedicated advocate for at-risk youth, Xavier boldly professes to the world that "no child is born bad."
