What does “healing” mean to you? 

To Transcend that which holds me captive mentally, spiritually, and physically. Letting go to make room for peace, love, understanding, and joy.

What are your dreams for the future? What do you want to accomplish/achieve?

My dreams are to continue helping those sisters/brothers I left behind in the belly of the beast by going back inside freeing them mentally, spiritually, and physically. I want to start a for-profit business to give jobs providing good money, and a circle so formerly incarcerated people can come together and talk about the real life issues we all go through coming home and being out here in society.

What is something you wish people knew about you?

That I love to help people, and I'm the first formerly incarcerated person to become a CDCR grantee for a class I teach inside prison called “Path2Restoration”, which deals with trauma.

Have you ever felt like someone made assumptions about you, based on the fact that you were incarcerated? What were those assumptions? How do you challenge those?

That I wasn't trustworthy to go back inside of prisons. I now run classes and speak at over 16 prisons currently.

What is your favorite thing to do?

 Go to the ocean and reflect, build, and relax.

What do you do for fun?

I lowrider and cruise with others lowriders or just ride by myself.

What is your favorite memory?

Last year: speaking on a world stage that allowed me to be recognized globally for my work. I traveled as a guest of the organizers of the "World Summit on Countering Violence & Extremism” Training/Convening, which celebrated the 149th birth of Mahatma Gandhi in Bangalore, India.

What are your favorite qualities (in yourself)?

 Loyalty.

What are you most proud of?

I graduated from CIIS with my BA degree, and also graduated from Stanford university entrepreneurship program called “ReMade".

Who are your biggest role models? 

My Dad, Nane Alejandrez, Mr. B Harry Belefonte, Danny Glover, Michelle Alexander, Dr. Vincent Harding, Rachel Harding, Malcom X, MLK, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Keith Wattley.

What else would you like to say about yourself?

I founded Choices for Freedom (a nonprofit organization) which works to initiate social, restorative justice, and prison reform.

If you could describe working with UnCommon Law in one word, what word would you choose?

"ComRade".