Troy Williams/Restorative Media The next event occurs on October 18, from 1:30-4 PM. While the event is free, you must purchase a ticket to the island. To purchase ferry tickets, visit the Alcatraz City Cruises website. If you are a community leader working with the formerly incarcerated community and you would like to bring a group to an upcoming program in the series, please email us. If you have any accessibility needs such as ASL translation, please contact goga_accessibility@nps.gov at least 5 days in advance. For more information on the Formerly Incarcerated Speaker Series, or other community outreach initiatives (including ranger-led programs), please contact alca_outreach@nps.gov. October 18: Reclaiming ExpressionWhat is freedom of expression for an incarcerated person? In a tightly controlled environment, how can artistic expression free someone’s mind and voice? Though it is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution, a person’s freedom of expression is severely limited in prison. In this event, we invite artists to reclaim that freedom through spoken word, poetry, journalism, environmental stewardship, and music.The event will include spoken word and poetry performances and an art gallery, all of which build a bridge from Alcatraz history to the park's current community engagement efforts over the last few years. Performances will take place between 2-4 PM in the New Industries Building. To learn more, see the artists' biographies below. 
Image courtesy Ernst Fenelon Jr. Fenelon will share some of his poetry, which focuses on the themes of freedom, common humanity, and post-sentence punishment. He will also share an excerpt from his film, “Angee’s Journey,” about his mother’s journey to visit him in prison. 
Image courtesy Ashaki Scott Her poetry explores themes of identity, survival, justice, freedom, and reclaiming one’s voice, reflecting both her personal journey and the collective struggles of her community. Ashaki believes deeply in the transformative power of voice to heal, to connect, and to reimagine what justice and liberation can look like. 
Image courtesy John Cannon 
NPS Photo/Anna Christie Troy will be present original poetry inspired by his time at San Quentin. A preview of this was performed at the Planting Justice El Sabronte nursery earlier this summer. 
Image courtesy William Kerbox Stanford will share two short poems composed while he was incarcerated. The first poem will be an exposition of the darker elements of his soul. The next will be a revelation of the power of transformation. May's Speakers Joseph Beaman is a software engineer. In this talk, Joseph will share about his experience in prison, his personal transformation, and how he came to be where he is today. Despite what you might think, prison provided a unique environment where he could leverage his tech skills, managing the prison’s CCTV channels and using media equipment and software. Joseph is passionate about this career field, which provides him with ample opportunity to learn and to create a positive change for people.
Richard Mireles is the Director of Personal Development and Outreach with CROP (Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs), a nonprofit that provides formerly incarcerated people with reentry support and job training. He will talk about this work, where he leads initiatives that equip people with the mindset, skills, and confidence needed to thrive after incarceration.
Richard’s own journey is a testament to the power of transformation. While serving 21 years, he earned a bachelor's degree in management, became an ordained minister, and dedicated himself to mentoring others. Since his release, he has spoken at high schools, colleges, churches, and more. He is the host of CROP’s Prison Post Podcast, where he shares powerful stories of transformation, resilience, and justice reform. John Cunningham is a pastor at the Christ Centered Missionary Baptist Church in Hayward, California. He preaches a socially conscious gospel, empowering citizens to dismantle systems of oppression by organizing and mobilizing. He will share his own journey of redemption and restoration, as well as his advocacy work for the marginalized, underserved and forgotten voices in our communities.
John works for Rubicon Programs Inc., a Bay Area nonprofit that provides job readiness, education and vocational opportunities to justice-impacted single parents. As a justice-impacted individual, John attended San Francisco State University with the support of Project Rebound. While studying, he was awarded a fellowship to work with the city’s Board of Supervisors. He graduated with honors in December 2022, earning a bachelor’s degree in Race and Resistance Studies. June's Speakers Precious Johnson is a reentry life coach, advocate, and podcast host of Insightful Xchange. As founder of Fresh Pathways, she empowers system-impacted individuals through coaching, storytelling, and curriculum, drawing from her own 15-year journey of incarceration and transformation.
Shani Shay is the founder and director of UC Berkeley’s Incarceration to College program, which offers college readiness courses, workshops, tutoring and coaching to incarcerated youth to help them succeed in college. Shay teaches classes that help students work on life skills, college applications, and financial aid assistance. She has a B.A. in African-American Studies with a minor in Education from UC Berkeley and a Master’s in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
July's Speakers Jay Kim’s talk “The Right Place and Right Time: How You Create Your Own Path,” covers his own transformation journey. He will share how he has started creating his own sphere of influence and elevating his opportunities in a post-release world.
Ruben "Jitu" Williams spent 44 years incarcerated, 32 year of isolation, and 26 years of that in Pelican Bay. While there, he was part of the Californian Hunger Strikes, protesting solitary confinement practices in the prison.
August's SpeakersTerah Lawyer is the President of CROP (Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs), a nonprofit that provides reentry support to formerly incarcerated individuals. While incarcerated, Terah became a certified peer health educator, a drug and alcohol counselor and earned two associate degrees. After returning home in 2017, Terah has dedicated her life to her community. She is the former director of Impact Justice’s groundbreaking reentry program, The Homecoming Project, which matches eligible returning citizens with rooms for rent with compatible hosts. Over three years, she developed and led the program which has received national and state awards. Vanessa Rojas is a powerful voice for prison and sentencing reform, grounded in lived experience and driven by purpose. A California native and mother of three, Vanessa served many county jail terms and four years in federal prison before being released under the First Step Act’s compassionate release provision. She now works for Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), the organization that played a significant role in her release. Vanessa is now pursuing a degree in law, public policy, and society, and has committed her life to building a world where no one is defined by their worst mistake. September's SpeakersEdwin “Zakee” Hutchinson is the Regional Program Manager for the GRIP Training Institute. As both a veteran and formerly incarcerated individual, Zakee has devoted himself to helping others to transform their lives, by learning accountability and changing their life narratives. His personal life experiences drive his desire to create positive change and improve the lives of others impacted by the criminal justice system. After serving over five years in prison for a wrongful conviction, Cedar Annenkovna was suddenly released by the Supreme Court with only 30 minutes’ notice. While incarcerated, she became a mentor and GED instructor, earned an associates degree, got involved in legislation, had her art and writing published and exhibited nationally and internationally. Now, as an artist, poet, and activist, she is an advocate for prison abolition. |
Last updated: September 25, 2025