For decades, negative stigmas, and predominantly negative narratives about returning citizens have stifled our community’s growth. Many are hesitant, or downright refuse, to accept formerly incarcerated people as equal members of our society, refusing to offer them jobs, housing, funding, transport or access to the many programs that would contribute to their success, and the success of an evolving society.
There is a false belief in our society, that once someone (regardless of their age, or the degree of physical and/or mental trauma that they may have suffered in their life) has been arrested, convicted and sentenced to a period of incarceration for a crime, that person is then condemned as incorrigible, irredeemable, and incapable of functioning in a civilized society. And it was with this unfair, unsubstantiated, and misguided belief, that the minds of the masses were indoctrinated, at which time, lawmakers dictated a policy that resulted in hundreds of Michigan’s young people being prematurely condemned to a lifetime behind bars. It’s as if local and state politicians and decision-makers alike, would rather waste divine potential, at the expense of the taxpayer, rather than to invest in that potential.
As a result of ignorance, fear and outdated tough-on-crime rhetoric, youth as young as 14 years of age, were sentenced to death by incarceration. It’s unimaginable to think that any system could condemn a person, especially a child, as unworthy of investing in their rehabilitation. For example, in the majority of the Michigan Department Of Corrections (MDOC) facilities, lifers are restricted from participating in educational or rehabilitative programming. In fact, the criminal justice department has been operating in destitute, inhumane conditions, with widespread negligence, abuse and corruption amongst decision-makers for so long, that the outrageous act of sentencing children to life without the possibility of parole was considered acceptable.
It wasn’t until 2018 that Michigan’s Supreme Court ordered the trial courts to resentence hundreds of juvenile lifers, the majority of whom are now adults, in their 40s. After decades behind bars, it would have been easy for those released individuals to come out spitefully, fall into a state of depression or anti-socialism. Rather than succumb to that, several former juvenile lifers have come together with an understanding that their liberation is incomplete without their giving back to their community. Demetrius Knuckles El, founder of The Great Minds Project, which is an organizations committed to connecting like minded impacted individuals to development opportunities, explains, “We [former juvenile lifers] are the moving force behind all grassroots organizations”.
Demetrius has partnered with Kimberly Woodson, also a former juvenile lifer and founder of Redeeming Kimberly, a grassroots organizations committed to community service; and, Robert Olive, founder of Righteous Sons CC, a service providing conscious community-based nonprofit organization in order to give back to the metro-Detroit area. None of these leaders allowed their formerly incarcerated status to impede their love for their community or their desire to give back. Formerly castaway by their own society as worthless and irredeemable, these leaders are committed to proving that narrative wrong. These three impacted-led organizations, Great Minds, Righteous Sons, and Redeeming Kimberly have come together as Great Righteous Redeeming for a full day of community service during this holiday season on December 7, 2019.
The Day long affair begins with a Pancake Brunch at Soul Harvest Ministry in Highland Park from 11:00a – 2:00p. The $10 entry cost will provide attendees with unlimited pancakes and go towards providing hygiene products and purses to women in transition. The event will highlight the stories of women who’ve been impacted by incarceration, prostitution and other forms of trauma. This event is a safe space to reflect on the pain that our community has endured and celebrate our ability to overcome. That event will be followed by a food and clothing drive at the Church of the Messiah in Detroit from 2:00p – 5:00p. If you or someone you know is in need this holiday season please join our community at the Church of the Messiah this Saturday December 7th. For anyone interested in contributing items to be donated, donations can be dropped off at the church of the Messiah on Friday December 6th between 12 noon and 5:00p. For those who may be unable or unavailable to drop of their donations during that time, please can schedule a time for your donations to be picked up by contacting one of the organizers:
Redeeming Kimberly – redeemingkimberly5317@gmail.com
Righteous Sons – righteoussons1111@gmail.com
The Great Minds Project- thegreatmindsproject@gmail.com
