Women and Incarceration, Long Sentencing, Families and Incarceration, Access to Education, Voting Rights Restoration, Art Music and Writing Gary Ricke Women and Incarceration, Long Sentencing, Families and Incarceration, Access to Education, Voting Rights Restoration, Art Music and Writing Gary Ricke

Kemba Smith Pradia

Virginia
Kemba Smith Pradia, once sentenced to 24.5 years in prison for drug-related offenses, became a prominent advocate for criminal justice reform after receiving clemency from President Clinton, and now works as a public speaker, author, and consultant while continuing her activism through various organizations and her own foundation.

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Long Sentencing, Second Look Sentencing, Restorative Justice, Women and Incarceration, Art Music and Writing, Families and Incarceration Gary Ricke Long Sentencing, Second Look Sentencing, Restorative Justice, Women and Incarceration, Art Music and Writing, Families and Incarceration Gary Ricke

Michelle West

California
During more than 30 years of incarceration, Michelle West never stopped organizing for her freedom with the #FREEMICHELLEWEST campaign. In January 2025, President Biden commuted Michelle's sentence, citing her overwhelming support from the civil rights community, women’s rights advocates and lawmakers. In the short time since her release, Michelle has been honored by the Black Music Action Coalition, advocated for federal prison reform on Capitol Hill, was a guest speaker at Kim Kardashian’s graduation, and served as a keynote speaker at JustUs Ideas Week.

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Access to Education, Long Sentencing, Leadership, Families and Incarceration, Higher Education in Prisons, Reentry, Art Music and Writing Gordon Rosenberg Access to Education, Long Sentencing, Leadership, Families and Incarceration, Higher Education in Prisons, Reentry, Art Music and Writing Gordon Rosenberg

Shannon Ross

Wisconsin
Shannon Ross, the Executive Director of The Community, founded the organization while serving a 17-year prison sentence to address the criminal legal system's impact through greater information sharing, self-empowerment, 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.

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Youth Justice, Access to Education, Racial Justice, Art Music and Writing, Mental Health, Humanizing Language Gordon Rosenberg Youth Justice, Access to Education, Racial Justice, Art Music and Writing, Mental Health, Humanizing Language Gordon Rosenberg

Paine the Poet

Washington D.C.
Paine The Poet, a spoken word artist and activist, 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.

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Access to Education, Racial Justice, Exoneration and Innocence, Art Music and Writing, Mental Health Gary Ricke Access to Education, Racial Justice, Exoneration and Innocence, Art Music and Writing, Mental Health Gary Ricke

Fernando Bermudez

New York
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.

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