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Anqua describes growing up in Detroit, Michigan, as the oldest of three siblings. He remembers watching his single mother work constantly to provide, getting the family where they needed to go, mostly by public transportation. Sometimes, they had access to personal vehicles. It is no understatement to say that his mother’s tenacity was his greatest inspiration.

At 53, Ward is enrolled in trucking school and attending classes five days a week as he prepares for a career behind the wheel. This moment has been shaped by hard lessons, persistence, and the love he has for his kids. Now, one year after coming home and after a road filled with obstacles, Ward is ready to put the past in his rearview mirror.

Thanks to Strides for Peace National Gun Violence Prevention Expo, I recently had the privilege of moderating a fireside chat with Larry Miller, the former president of Jordan Brand and a former top executive at Nike. Larry helped lead one of the most recognizable brands in the world. But what made our conversation meaningful had little to do with sneakers or business.

Fernando spent his early childhood in the Dallas, Texas, area before moving to California around the sixth grade. He remembers growing up with his brother in a happy home, raised by a mother who always managed to keep a roof over their heads.

Talking to Talasha, one of the first things she shares is how proud she is of her children. She glows when talking about her daughter, a high school student who earns straight A’s and performs as a majorette in the school band, as well as her 17-year-old son, who is actively pursuing his own goals and finding his path forward. Today, she is focused on rebuilding a stable foundation for her family and setting her sights on a future in corporate leadership.

Coming home on October 1, 2024, I knew that reentering society would be a job in itself. I had all my paperwork ready and followed every rule I was supposed to follow. Yet, despite calling and following up constantly, I didn't receive benefits until mid-December. That two-and-a-half-month wait was a stark reminder of how hard this path would be. Programs like Medicaid are essential to people like me who cannot afford healthcare in an economy where basic medical costs are dangerously high.

When James left the streets in 1991, he was stepping toward a complete shift in his life's trajectory. In 2010, he married his children's mother. At that time, his three kids were just 5, 7, and 9 years old. Being a married father fully present in the daily lives of his young children gave him a profound sense of focus and purpose—in his own words, they kind of saved his life. By the time he walked out of the prison gates later on, he returned to a completely different landscape. His children were now young adults, ages 21, 23, and 25. Though he was no longer married to their mother, he was still entirely their father, but he was returning home carrying the heavy weight of having missed a significant, formative part of the upbringing of the very children who had once given him purpose.

According to the Sentencing Project, nearly half of the 1.9 million incarcerated people in America are parents. This means that when someone is released, it’s not just a personal milestone – it’s a family reunion that requires immediate stability. For fathers like Jose, coming home means facing the responsibility of supporting children right away, with no savings, no cushion, and no time to wait for help.

For many people leaving incarceration, health coverage is not just a benefit – it is a lifeline. Without it, accessing mental health care, medication, and the stability needed to rebuild a life becomes nearly impossible. For Anthony, Medi-Cal made all the difference.

The transition back to society isn't a single step; it is a grueling, daily trek up a steep mountain. For me, that climb has been defined by a system that feels designed to watch me slide backward, rather than help me reach the top.

Julio was raised in a Mid-City-Koreatown neighborhood in Los Angeles as one of six children in a hardworking family. Despite the gang violence in the surrounding streets, his parents taught their children to stay focused on their education and goals. They provided for all six of them without reliance on government assistance, stretching out every paycheck. Even through the agony of incarceration, Julio kept his eyes fixed on the hope his parents gave him, driven by his dream to “take care of them the way they took care of us.”

When Anthony moved into a halfway house in Pittsburgh three years ago, he wasn’t sure what would come next. On his second day there, he saw a posting on the bulletin board in the kitchen for the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) – suddenly he knew he had found direction.