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.

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.

Louisiana
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.

Illinois
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.

Louisiana
Kerry Myers is the Deputy Director of the Louisiana Parole Project and an award-winning journalist dedicated to aiding individuals who were sentenced to life as children and others with extreme sentences. He 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.

Pennsylvania
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 and young people who find themselves involved in the criminal justice system, earning recognition for his advocacy work and serving as Senior Reentry Coordinator at the Youth Sentencing & Reentry Project in Philadelphia.

Washington D.C.
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.

Georgia
George Anthony Morton is an Atlanta-based award-winning and internationally recognized artist, specializing in classical painting and drawing inspired by Classical-Realist tradition.

Washington D.C.
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.

Louisiana
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.