Ed Martell, Second Chances Don't Come Often

Lashonia is a Washington, D.C. native who as a youth made a series of mistakes that landed her in prison for 18.5 years for a violent crime. To rectify her past wrongdoings, Lashonia launched a non-profit organization known as The W.I.R.E. (Women Involved in Reentry Efforts), which provides social support to women currently incarcerated, returning from incarceration and their families.

Andre Norman is the #1 prison success story in the world. After serving 14-years in the federal penitentiary, he taught himself how to heal from the childhood trauma he endured growing up in inner-city Boston, MA. The author of Turning Poverty and Prison into a Purpose Driven Life and Founder of Academy of Hope, a violence reduction prison program, Andre has spent the last 20+ years restoring his past wrongdoings through educating others involved in the justice system on ways to heal from their pain.

MarQuette White is the Site Supervisor at Cure The Streets (CTS) Washington, D.C., an  Office of Attorney General (OAG) public safety pilot program working to reduce gun violence in the District. Marquette and his team work with the vulnerable citizens residing in Ward 8, which is the most economically disadvantaged of all 8 wards in Washington, D.C. As a returning citizen, MarQuette has dedicated his second chance to enhancing the decision making skills of inner-city youth and getting the guns off our streets.

As the Founder and President of YardOut Fitness, Ronald Rasul Johnson uses his love for personal training to educate the youth of inner-city Philadelphia, PA, to invest in themselves as aspiring business owners. Growing up in inner-city Philadelphia, Ronald repeated the cycle of crime exposed to him at the cost of his freedom. During his 11-year period of incarceration, Ronald chose to carve a new way of living. One that leads towards constantly improving the mental and physical well-being of himself and others.

Lee Baker is a Washington, D.C. Native and graduate of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. As a stand-out First-Team All-Metropolitan football player, Lee would leave the city to pursue a full football scholarship to Virginia Tech. Lee would return to the District a few short years later as a result of legal troubles from a misguided youth.  To right his past wrongdoings, Lee has founded DemiGawd Athletics, where he has dedicated his second chance to training inner-city youth football athletes. To date, DemiGawd Athletics has helped over 40 D.C. youth earn college scholarship opportunities.

Edward Martell currently serves as a member of the Perkins Law Group, where he specializes in criminal defense. A high-school drop-out, drug dealer, and felon with no guidance, Martell found himself before The Honorable Bruce U. Morrow, who challenged him to apply the skillset he was using in the streets to that of a Fortune 500 company. Beyond actual legal practice, Martell recognizes his duty to provide guidance, encouragement, and education in the areas where life meets the law through outreach, alignment with social programs, and opportunities to reciprocate the support, mentorship, and second chances.

On Tuesday, June 15th, 2021, Joel Castón became Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) for 7F07, making him the first incarcerated person to hold a position in D.C. Government.  In this interview Joel shares the realities of his upbringing in inner-city Washington, D.C., his preparation for release and the ways in which he is educating other inmates to prepare for the same.