Tyree Hicks and Jamel Massey

Jamel Massey (below right) and Tyree Hicks (below left) met at the Institute for Transformative Mentoring at The New School. They were both first arrested when they were teenagers, and they now mentor people from their own neighborhoods, including those who were formerly incarcerated. While serving a sentence for manslaughter, Jamel met a mentor who he credits with helping change the direction of his life.

Jamel and Tyree’s conversation was recorded through the StoryCorps Justice Project, which preserves and amplifies the stories of people who have been directly impacted by mass incarceration. The Justice Project is made possible, in part, with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice Challenge, #RethinkJails, and the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation. This conversation was recorded through our community partnership with the Institute for Transformative Mentoring, a professional training program focused on the development of Credible Messengers working in the social services fields throughout New York City.

Released May 11, 2017.

Miguel Delgado and Jack Russell

While Jack Russell (below left) was growing up in New York City, he went in and out of foster care and spent time in jail and prison for attempted robbery. He came to StoryCorps with his friend Miguel Delgado (below right) to talk about his childhood and what led to his incarceration. Jack is now 29 years old and a stay-at-home dad.

Jack and Miguel’s conversation was recorded through the StoryCorps Justice Project, which preserves and amplifies the stories of people who have been directly impacted by mass incarceration. The Justice Project is made possible, in part, with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice Challenge, #RethinkJails, and the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation. This conversation was recorded through our community partnership with the Osborne Association, a nonprofit that offers opportunities for individuals who have been in conflict with the law to transform their lives.

Released May 9, 2017.

Asad Kerr-Giles and April Kerr

In 2012, Asad Kerr-Giles was a college-bound high school senior when he was wrongfully imprisoned. After going to a school fundraiser party, Asad heard gunshots. The next day, he was picked up by police and charged with the shooting. He spent the next 28 months on Rikers Island before being acquitted. At StoryCorps, he spoke with his mom April Kerr about his time in jail.

Asad and April’s conversation was recorded through the StoryCorps Justice Project, which preserves and amplifies the stories of people who have been directly impacted by mass incarceration. The Justice Project is made possible, in part, with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice Challenge, #RethinkJails, and the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation. This conversation was recorded through our community partnership with Friends of the Island Academy,  a non-profit that supports and brings opportunity to youth during and after their time in New York City jails.

Released May 5, 2017.

Jayne Fuentes and Luis Fuentes

Jayne Fuentes has been working to rebuild her life after spending more than 15 years in and out of jail on drug and theft charges. After her last jail sentence ended in 2013, she found that she owed tens of thousands of dollars in court fines and fees. At StoryCorps in Richland, Washington, she sat down with her son, Luis, to talk about the impact of these fines on both of their lives.

Jayne and Luis’s conversation was recorded through the StoryCorps Justice Project, which preserves and amplifies the stories of people who have been directly impacted by mass incarceration. The Justice Project is made possible, in part, with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice Challenge, #RethinkJails, and the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation.

Released May 4, 2017.

StoryCorps Justice Project

What does freedom mean to you? What does justice mean for us? Tell me about the first time you were aware the justice system existed. How has it affected your life? Do you think others understand the justice system the way you do? What changes would you like to see in the system overall? What do you wish others knew about it? What do you want for your family? What are your hopes for the future?

Through the Justice Project, StoryCorps preserves and amplifies the stories of people who have been directly impacted by mass incarceration. We launched the initiative in 2016 to document the experiences of youth of color involved with the juvenile or adult justice system in New York City, and people of all ages affected by jail incarceration across the U.S. We are working to ensure that first-person voices from this era of mass incarceration are preserved in the historical record and amplified locally and nationwide.

Featured Stories from the Justice Project

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