New Brunswick resident Eric Pereira grew up in a large, close-knit family near Howell, New Jersey. Eric caused a fatal car crash, which led him to serve six years in prison. He discusses his experiences with the legal system as a young person. While incarcerated, Eric took advantage of the NJSTEP program, which he now works for after he was released.
Read MoreDonald Roden
Dr. Roden is a History Professor at Rutgers and was very influential in starting the Mountainview Education Project for individuals who were previously incarcerated. He is very passionate about education being a pathway to a better quality of life.
Read MoreIvelisse Gilestra
Ivelisse Gilestra was raised in Puerto Rico and moved to New York City when she was 17 to get away from an unsafe lifestyle. She was arrested when she was 26 in Jersey City after a serious incident with a police officer. Ivelisse served fifteen years, with five years of parole. She is an organizer and a proponent of NJ-STEP, and is interested in healing justice initiatives. She is currently involved in campaigns to remove barriers to education for those who were formerly incarcerated as well as for those who are currently incarcerated.
Read MoreAntonne Henshaw
Antonne Henshaw was recently accepted to Rutgers-Camden for graduate school. He discusses the struggles of his early childhood and selling drugs by the time he was in middle school. Antonne was incarcerated for thirty years. During this time, he was involved in the creation of NJSTEP.
Read MoreRyan Haygood
Ryan Haygood is a civil rights lawyer and President and CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Ryan reflects on growing up in Denver, and the formative interactions he had with police growing up. Since then, Ryan has focused on bringing to light the structural racism that has disadvantaged persons of color. His advocacy work focuses on helping those who have been disenfranchised by systems of racial discrimination.
Read MoreTia Ryans
Tia Ryans began running away from home to escape physical and sexual abuse, which ultimately led to her ending up in juvenile detention centers and juvenile prison. She was incarcerated for ten years, and describes her experiences while she was incarcerated and the success she has had since she was released. She has excelled in her higher education and is an advocate for criminal justice reform and environmental justice.
Read MoreRon Pierce
Growing up, Ron Pierce was taught the importance of voting and voted in every election that he could up until 1986 when was arrested. Ron believes that voting is a way to further democracy and help one’s community. He is a Democracy and Justice Fellow for the New Jersey Institute of Social Justice. He is working on getting voting rights restored for individuals on parole.
Read MoreIbrahim Sulaimani
Ibrahim Sulaimani was 15 years old at the time of his arrest. He stayed at the Mercer County youth detention center for two years while going through the trial process, and eventually received the harshest sentence possible for the crime for which he was convicted, serving thirty years. Ibrahim speaks with pride regarding the educational standards he reached while he was incarcerated, and he is proud of how far he has come in his journey to freedom.
Read MoreMark Hopkins
Mark Hopkins experiences with the justice system started when he was a child. He discusses growing up in Camden, as well as the experience of being on parole. He is a dedicated organizer, who is actively involved in the NJ STEP program.
Read MoreDameon Stackhouse
Dameon Stackhouse spent close to twelve years in prison before he was eligible for parole. Prior to being released, Dameon was trying to get a degree or certificate so that he would be able to find a job that could provide for him and his family. Dameon discusses those difficulties, and how his experiences have led him to participate in important advocacy work, including the #1844NoMore campaign.
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