Joel Castón's Re-entry Fund

To know Joel is to know a man filled with kindness, love, persistence, and consideration. Dedicated to the lives of others, Joel has spent the last 27 years committed to helping those around him. Beyond being an avid student and a published writer, Joel has helped to spearhead a jail newspaper, teach financial literacy classes, and lead the Young Men Emerging mentorship program at the DC Jail, working to ensure that “young people who are incarcerated are directly involved in their own process of rehabilitation.” Most recently, Joel became the first individual in the nation to be elected to public office while incarcerated, assuming a position as a DC Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner.

 

While more than a quarter-century behind bars cannot be returned, I’m happy to say that Joel was recently granted parole and this November, he will finally walk free.

 

Unfortunately, the shackles of incarceration don’t end at the door of release. Re-entry is a process riddled with obstacles to housing, employment, social services, and much more. Accounting for housing, utilities, groceries, electronics, transportation, and medical costs, we are expecting to need $53,300 to access to basic needs throughout the first year in Joel’s journey of re-entry.

Any contribution that you are willing to make towards this cause of justice is hugely appreciated, and we encourage you to share this with your networks.  Joel has dedicated his life to a society that has ignored him, and now is the time to remedy that by supporting his successful re-entry.