Kevin Smith, founder

From infancy until the age of eighteen, Kevin lived in six different foster homes in New Jersey. He graduated from Lakewood High School, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Virginia Union University, with a focus on Urban Studies. A short time after graduating from college, he was accepted into the Public & International Affairs (GSPIA) graduate program at the University of Pittsburgh in hopes of becoming a Peace Corps volunteer or foreign service officer. He plans to complete graduate coursework for a degree in public administration. He focuses exclusively on helping formerly incarcerated individuals re-enter society and the workforce as productive and essential citizens.  

Although Kevin achieved significant academic and professional success, he struggled personally, in large part due to the difficulties of dealing with the circumstances he faced as a young child and adolescent. His life deteriorated, he became addicted to drugs, and he lost the privilege to live freely. After Kevin’s release back into society, he returned to the Washington, DC, area where he had been living and working previously. For almost a decade he has worked as a valued employee of the Council of the District of Columbia in the Legislative Services Division.  

Kevin served as an advocate for other residents while in the correctional system. He developed and managed community projects to involve residents in prison affairs and policies, making significant contributions to the residents’ quality of life. More importantly, Kevin was a key resource for men, assisting them in preparing for transition to life outside the walls and back in society.

Kevin has received numerous commendations and acknowledgments for his work inside correctional institutions and in the community. The following are a few recent highlights. As a member of the DC Reentry Task Force, Kevin led the effort to get Bill 21-463, Incarceration to Incorporation Entrepreneurship Program (IIEP) passed unanimously by the Council of the District of Columbia (although it was not ultimately funded in the city budget). He was selected by the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) and its criminal justice partners as part of CSOSA’s annual Reentry Reflection celebration. Kevin’s efforts, along with others, in rebuilding their lives is highlighted in the challenges men and women face when returning to their communities after incarceration. Reentry Reflection is part of a series of events in an annual Citywide Reentry Assembly that recognizes successful reentry and fosters a dialogue to inspire action. Reentry Reflection, and the Citywide Reentry Assembly, specifically, are opportunities to share the untold stories of men and women who continue to successfully rebuild their lives.

Kevin’s efforts to rebuild his life highlight the challenges men and women face when returning to their communities after incarceration. The work is hard, but the stories of Kevin and those of many others like him demonstrate the available opportunities for better futures.