Glenn E. Martin

Glenn E. Martin
Born Glenn E. Martin
10/30/1970
Brooklyn, New York
Residence New York City, New York
Nationality American
Education Canisius College
Occupation Founder of JustLeadershipUSA
Known for Criminal Justice Reform Advocacy
Partner(s) Veronica Dunlap, Esq.
Parent(s) June O'Brien

Glenn E. Martin is the President and Founder of GEMtrainers.com, a social justice consultancy firm that partners with non-profits from across the United States to assist with fundraising, organizational development and marketing. Glenn is a longstanding American criminal justice reform advocate and is the founder and former president of JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA). He also founded the campaign, #CLOSErikers[1] and co-founded the Education from the Inside Out Coalition, a national campaign working to remove barriers to higher education facing students while they are in prison and once they are released.[2]

Martin regularly comments on criminal justice in the media, including CNN, CSPAN, Al Jazeera, and MSNBC.[3][4][5][6]

Early life and family

Martin was born and raised in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of a retired police officer. His partner, Veronica Dunlap[7], is a former international professional ballerina, and now practices civil rights law and policy.

New York prison

Martin spent six years incarcerated in New York prisons. In 1994, at the age of 24, Martin was convicted for an armed robbery of a New York City jewelry store and was sentenced to six years in prison.[8] He was detained on Rikers Island for a year and served five additional years in the Wyoming Correctional Facility in Attica, New York for his role in several armed robberies.[9]

Education

While in prison, Martin took college level courses.[10] Martin views his liberal arts education as a key turning point in his life.[10] While at the Wyoming Correctional Facility, Martin earned an associate degree in social science from the Jesuit Canisius College based in Buffalo, N.Y.[11] Martin faced barriers to employment with a criminal record even though he had a college degree.[12]

Release

In 2000, Martin was released from prison in upstate Attica, New York.[13] At release, a correctional officer thanked him: "He said my being there helped pay for his boat, and that when my son came there, he would help pay for his son's boat."[13]

United States criminal justice reform

Martin has worked with and founded various criminal justice reform non-profits. Martin also regularly comments on criminal justice issues. Martin has been critical of the disenfranchisement of felons in New York state,[14] and in the United States.[15] In 2014, Martin gave a guest lecture at Bennington College on criminal justice reform.[16][17]

Upon release from prison, Martin began his career with the Legal Action Center (LAC). Martin eventually served as the co-director of LAC's Helping Individuals with criminal records Reenter through Employment (H.I.R.E.) Network.[10] Martin worked to address the obstacles facing ex-offenders who try to reconnect with their communities and society at large.[18] Martin discussed what he viewed as discrimination faced by people with criminal records, based on their criminal records and their race, noting that people of color are disproportionately represented in the American criminal justice system.[12] Martin regularly spoke with media regarding criminal justice issues.[19]

Fortune Society

From 2007 until 2014, Martin served as Vice President of Development and Public Affairs for the Fortune Society, a group dedicated to helping people returning from prison to succeed with starting new lives.[20] Half of Fortune Society’s staff members were formerly incarcerated, and one-third of the board members were formerly incarcerated.[21]

Martin regularly spoke with the national media about criminal justice issues.[22][23]

JustLeadershipUSA

In November 2014, Martin founded a new organization, JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA). JLUSA aims to cut the U.S. correctional population in half by 2030 through advocacy campaigns, leadership trainings, and member engagement.[24] Martin told Mic that he "believes the most compelling advocates of change are those who have been directly affected by incarceration."[25] Martin appeared on the Brian Lehrer show to discuss the purpose of prison.[26] JLUSA hosts training for formerly incarcerated leaders wanting to have a voice in the national debate over criminal justice and prison reform.

GEMtrainers

In April 2018, Martin founded a new organization, GEMtrainers, LLC. GEMtrainers offers discreet, transformational and business-practical coaching for non-profit business leaders seeking to accelerate their performance and that of their organizations. They assist clients with strengthening their personal and organization positioning, brand story, visual identity, & messaging. GEMtrainers, LLC helps clients to build new, effective brands for their advocacy campaigns, help tear down existing ineffective strategies and neutralize opponents who work to harm movements, by ruthlessly focusing on executing compelling co-created strategies that leave nothing to chance.

White House experience

In early June 2015, Martin, along with other criminal justice reform activists, were invited to the White House to discuss mass incarceration and law enforcement issues.[27] Martin was flagged by the United States Secret Service as a security risk because of his criminal record, and required to have a special escort in order to enter the White House complex for the discussion.[28] Once cleared, Martin used the incident "to frame the topic for larger criminal justice reform."[28] Ultimately, Martin met with President Obama to discuss JustLeadershipUSA and his efforts to help shrink the criminal justice footprint in the lives of all Americans.

Writings

Awards

  • Working Families (2017)
  • Brooke Astor Award (2017) [29]
  • Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award (2016) [30]
  • VOCAL 2016 Gala Honoree (2016) [31]
  • The Root 100 (2015)[32][33]
  • Legal Action Center's Arthur L. Liman Public Interest Award (2015) [34]
  • Crisis to Triumph Award, SUNY Empire State College (2015)
  • Kentucky Colonel, Highest Honor bestowed by KY Governor Steve Beshear (2014)
  • Youth Represent (2013) [35]
  • Hudson Link for College in Prison Brian Fischer Award (2010)
  • United States Probation Office of Southern Ohio Achievement Award (2010)
  • Exodus Transitional Community: Lonny McLeod Award (2009)
  • United States Probation Outstanding Commitment Award (2009)
  • Project Build Organization Community Reintegration Programs Award (2009)
  • The Laurie L. Scott Visionary Award (2008)
  • Kings County District Attorney Citation of Honor (2008)
  • National Offender Workforce Development Annual Policy Advocacy Award Winner (2007)
  • Citizens Against Recidivism Thurgood Marshall Advocacy Award (2007)

References

  1. "#CLOSErikers - New York City Campaign to Close Rikers Island". www.closerikers.org. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  2. Mitchell, Josh. "Obama's Plan to Restore Pell Grants for Prisoners Gets Mixed Reviews". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  3. "Changing Course on Drug Sentencing". MSNBC. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  4. "DC's newest odd couple addresses incarceration crisis". MSNBC. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  5. "Will bipartisanship lead to prison reform?". MSNBC. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  6. "Pilot program helps students in prison pay for college". MSNBC. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  7. "Linkedin for Veronica Dunlap".
  8. Yoder, Steven. "Prisoner's Dilemma". Prospect.org. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  9. Bader, Eleanor. "Formerly Incarcerated Activist Leads Organization to Mobilize Hearts and Minds for Decarceration". TruthOut. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 Woyton, Michael. "Education transforms lives". Poughkeepsie Journal. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  11. Gray, Katti. "From Prison to Policymaking". Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  12. 1 2 Martin, Michael. "Study: Ex-Cons Face Race Barriers in Job Search". NPR.org. National Public Radio. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  13. 1 2 Stier, Ken. "Another By-Product of the Recession: Ex-Convicts". time.com. Time Magazine. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  14. Evelly, Jeanmarie. "NY Prisoners Counted Differently, But Still Not Voting". citylimits.org. City Limits. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  15. "How Felon Disenfranchisement Confines Democracy". HuffPost Live. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  16. Carson, Derek. "Glenn Martin: Justice system is broken". Bennington Banner. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  17. "Keynote Address: Glenn Martin". Vimeo. Bennington Lectures. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  18. Heinlein, Sabine. "From The Inside Out". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  19. "The Prying Game". New York Post. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  20. Rosenberg, Tina. "For Ex-Prisoners, a Haven Away From the Streets". New York Times. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  21. Devaney, Tim (4 July 2011). "Feds recommend ex-cons for hard-to-fill jobs". Washington Times. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  22. Chen, Michelle. "Keeping Former Prisoners Out of Prison". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  23. Dyer, Herbert. "Locking up black men makes us safer, says NYC GOP mayoral candidate". allvoices. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  24. "About Us". justleadershipusa.org. JLUSA. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  25. Moore, Darnell. "11 People Who Used to Be in Jail — But Are Now Changing the World". Mic. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  26. "What is Prison For? Piper Kerman and Glenn Martin". Brian Lehrer Show. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  27. Surico, John. "What It's Like to Visit the White House as an Ex-Con". vice.com. Vice. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  28. 1 2 Kates, Graham. "Glenn Martin's "prison-like" White House experience". cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  29. "NYPL Hosted 2017 Annual Spring Dinner Honoring Individuals Who Lives Exemplify Dedication to Lifelong Learning". Enspire Magazine. 2017-05-31. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
  30. "Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights". rfkhumanrights.org. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
  31. "VOCAL-NY Annual Gala". VOCAL. 2015-04-23. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
  32. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  33. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-10. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
  34. "JPMORGAN'S GENERAL COUNSEL, STEVE CUTLER, AND FOUNDER OF JUSTLEADERSHIPUSA, GLENN E. MARTIN, TO BE HONORED AT LEGAL ACTION CENTER'S 2015 BENEFIT". Legal Action Center. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  35. http://www.youthrepresent.org/2013/08/save-the-date-youth-represents-annual-who-takes-the-cake-benefit-on-october-30-2013/%5Bdead+link%5D
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