Troy Williams/Restorative Media The Formerly Incarcerated Speaker Series is a program on Alcatraz Island that lifts up and highlights the voices of people who have spent time inside of jails and prisons. The National Park Service believes in parks as platforms for dialogue, and Alcatraz Island, being one of the only NPS sites that interprets mass incarceration, works directly with people who have been affected in order to give them a platform to showcase their stories. The events occur on multiple Saturdays throughout the summer, from 2-3 PM. See the specific dates below. 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. Upcoming dates, 2-3 PM:
Image courtesy CROP August 2: Terah LawyerTerah 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.
Image courtesy Vanessa Rojas August 9: Vanessa RojasVanessa 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.
NPS Photo August 16: Watani StinerWatani Stiner went to prison in 1969 after a shootout in which two Black Panthers were shot and killed at UCLA by a member of another revolutionary Black Power group. Watani and his brother were sentenced to life in prison although neither of them had taken part in the killings. Watani later escaped San Quentin and fled to South America where he lived in exile for twenty years. In 1994, concerned for the safety of his children, Watani walked into the U.S. Embassy and negotiated his surrender in exchange for his children’s passage to safety. He was released in 2015 and is now a writer, speaker, and social justice advocate.
Image courtesy Edwin Hutchinson September 6: Edwin "Zakee" HutchinsonEdwin “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.
Image courtesy Cedar Annenkovna Mortenson September 13: Cedar Annenkovna MortensonAfter 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.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.
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Last updated: July 25, 2025