Today we have a special post for a very special person, Richard Giles. We had the opportunity of meeting and working with Richard throughout our time together in this year’s Quest 4 Democracy in Sacramento. Richard has been formerly incarcerated due to a non-violent 3 strikes case where he was sentenced 35 years to life in 1995. In 1996 he began his sentence which would ultimately consist of 28 and a half years in Pelican Bay State Prison. Through positive behaviors, transformations, and dedication, he was released on February 13th, 2024. Upon release Giles became employed in a major retail association but was quickly offered a position at Starting over, Inc. Richard is now an organizer for the All of Us or None participatory defense of the Inland Empire. Richard strives to advocate and help impacted community members through his honorable work. ⛓️‍💥 Mr. Giles is enjoying his new life with his own place and his own car with stable employment. He is exploring new activities such as concerts, comedy shows, cooking and spending quality time with his family trying to make up for time lost due to incarceration. Richard has not lost sight of what is important and will continue expanding his education this August at Riverside Community College where he will soon obtain an Associates in Sociology. He shares that everyday is still very new to him and he is still a “student of life” as he navigates through his days. We are very honored to have met Richard and to have him home. Mr. Giles is an exemplary individual who has shown and continues to display success despite challenging circumstances. 👏🏽🤍 #schoolsnotprisons #questfordemocracy2025 #place4grace #allofusornone (fb)

This year marked the first time that the majority of our P4G team participated in Quest4 Democracy! 📣✨ It was an entirely new experience for us! Our group was divided into two teams and we had the pleasure of being guided by Dawn and her daughter, along with Porsche from the organization Prison From the Inside Out. Both of these strong and intelligent women were incredible leaders.👏🏽 @prisonftio_inc We collaborated with individuals from various organizations, community members, and those who have recently been released from incarceration. Everyone was filled with passion for the cause. 🫶🏽⛓️‍💥 The day began with a march to the Capitol.🏛️Once we arrived, we split into our designated groups and prepared to meet with assembly members. Each person had specific roles, whether it involved note-taking, making presentations, or sharing personal stories. Together, we advocated for bills that protect our rights. 📜🗣️ ‼️Our two teams focused on the ACA6 bill, which aims to challenge the 13th Amendment’s clause on forced labor and slavery. We also spoke in support of the Juvenile “three strikes” bill, which ensures that any strikes received before the age of 18 should not be counted against an individual as an adult.‼️ Overall, this experience was transformative for everyone involved. Our team gained so much from participating and we hope everyone else did too! 🌟🥹 #Place4Grace #Families4Grace #StillFamilies #SchoolsNotPrisons #ReunificationLooksLikeLiberation #LetsGetFREE #ChildrenoflncarceratedParents #SanBernardino (fb)