The Never-Ending Impact of Incarceration

Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez is a Program Director at The Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, a nonprofit running a multistate prison visitation program that provides opportunities for members of the public to meet and speak to those directly impacted by the criminal legal system in the U.S. The program’s conversations are structured to build empathy and grow understanding for all involved in order to drive meaningful personal and systemic changes. JJ delivered a Stand at Stand Together Foundation’s August 2022 Catalyst Summit in Denver, Colorado to an audience of over 300 nonprofit leaders. JJ shares his own personal story of transformation, how he has overcome 23+ years of wrongful incarceration, and the incredible work that Frederick Douglass Project is doing to help harness humanity in prison. Stand Together Foundation is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty in America by driving change from within communities. We are building a community of social entrepreneurs who believe in people, work from the bottom up, and unite with anyone to do right. Since 2016, we have committed $120 million and counting to fuel the innovation of nonprofits throughout the country to build stronger, safer communities where all people can learn, contribute, and realize their full potential. Our goal is to help nonprofit leaders maximize their impact to transform more lives out of poverty. Learn more about Stand Together Foundation at https://www.StandTogetherFoundation.org/ Lean more about The Frederick Douglass Project for Justice at https://www.douglassproject.org/