The power of community is evident in the changes we have seen in our laws, thanks to the incredible voices and advocacy of those who have been impacted by our systems. Every month, NAPD will share the inspiring stories of directly impacted individuals, showcasing
their journey post-incarceration to emphasize the remarkable contributions they are making in our communities.
This initiative aims to emphasize the remarkable work of directly impacted individuals and encourage us to change the narrative by bringing you stories of humanity, inspiration, and love after incarceration.
Mitigation Specialist Ronda Swenson & Criminal Justice Expert Artie Gonzalez will have a conversation with Shannon Ross the Executive Director of The Community.
Since his incarceration has been an incredible advocate and is the Executive Director The Community. Part of his work is the Correcting the Narrative Campaign which showcases the successes, humanity, and agency of people with criminal records to counteract fear, pity, and spectacle narratives. Shannon will be speaking to us on the campaign and his work with The Community & all the other inspiring work he does for the directly impacted Community
Shannon Ross: ( Main Speaker)
Shannon Ross is the Executive Director of The Community, which he founded with invaluable outside support in 2014 while serving a 17 year prison sentence. The Community addresses the effects of the criminal punishment system with two arms: Pre-entry and Correcting the Narrative. Pre-entry leverages the most widely-read publication in the Wisconsin prison system (The Community newsletter) and is developing a learning platform and a fellowship program to provide incarcerated people with high quality resources, info, encouragement, guidance, and training to return to society as successfully as possible, rather than trying to get prepared after release. Their Correcting the Narrative campaign showcases the successes, humanity, and agency of people with criminal records to counteract fear, pity, and spectacle narratives. Ultimately, they seek to bring society and the system-impacted community exactly where they need each other to be. Since his release September 2020, Shannon is also a founding partner of the Multidimensional Justice Solutions firm Paradigm Shyft, an Ed Trust Justice Fellow alumn, a Represent Justice ambassador, a consultant with Marquette University’s Higher Education in Prison program, a graduate of the Masters in Sustainable Peacebuilding program at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, and a first-time father.
Artie Gonzalez- ( Co-Host)
Artie Gonzales is the creative who almost never was. A juvenile-tried-as an-adult at age 16, he spent 21-years of a Life sentence in the California
prison system, eight of which included housing within Pelican Bay’s notorious super-max Solitary Confinement unit. It was here that he evolved past the brutality of his surroundings, as well as the highly political stature he held as a gang leader, committing himself to rehabilitation and nonviolence.
Released as a model prisoner by the Board of Parole Hearings in 2015, he then dedicated himself to building a new life. Applying the same acumen
and intelligence that helped him survive the inhumane conditions of our prison system, he has become a leader in his community, an advocate for
legislative reforms, and a member of several social justice organizations. After graduating from a Hollywood-oriented workforce development
program, ManifestWorks—of which he presently resides on the board of directors–he rose through the ranks from production assistant to writer,
producer, and author of “The Unseen Shackles.” This article sent reverberations throughout the criminal justice reform arena, and is the
basis for what he would later coin the term “Conscious Positioning.” Additionally, he is the Creator and Executive Producer of the anticipated
series, “Lessons From A Lifer,” which seeks to shift the culture between the system-impacted and Society by highlighting universal wisdoms and
commonality. His platform challenges preconceived notions about what it means to be “System-Impacted,” and creates a fresh narrative as a new voice for this generation of bold storytellers
Ronda Swenson ( Host)
Ronda Swenson is a Mitigation Specialist & a first-generation college graduate with a M.A. in Education, complemented by a credential in Sociology and substantial coursework towards her Ph.D. in human services, focusing on the justice system. She possesses a B.A. in Sociology, with significant coursework in the criminal justice field, alongside hundreds of hours of continuing education across various disciplines. Her professional experience spans over twenty-five years in the defense of serious felonies and capital cases, nearly two decades as a juvenile dependency social worker-investigator, and three years with the Northern California Innocence Project. Ronda is a certified paralegal and holds certification in forensic social work, ACES, and trauma informed care.
Beyond her involvement in the justice system, she has dedicated over thirty years to teaching modeling and producing fashion shows. For two decades, she and her family welcomed one hundred “foster brothers” from diverse backgrounds into their home, providing her with invaluable insights into the challenges faced by adolescents affected by systemic failures and childhood trauma. This experience informs her passionate holistic trauma-informed approach to mitigation. Ultimately, her greatest joy comes from her being a single mom to her bi-racial daughter.
