Could hip-Hop Overthrow Oppressive sentencing Enactments
Meet The Visionary
Earlonne Woods was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles.
At the age of 17, he was convicted as an adult for the kidnap/robbery of a drug dealer and sentenced to 10 years in state prison. He served 6 years, three months and was paroled in 1995. He returned to the streets and in 1997, he was arrested and sentenced to 31-years-to-life for attempted second degree robbery under California’s Three Strikes Law. While incarcerated this time, he received his GED, attended Coastline Community College and completed many vocational trade programs. Earlonne is the Co-creator, Co-producer and Co-host of the Pulitzer nominated podcast Ear Hustle. After 21 years of incarceration, in November 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown commuted Earlonne's sentence to time served. Upon his release from San Quentin, Earlonne was hired full time to continue the work started inside but also adding reentry stories. In the six seasons the podcast has been around, it has been downloaded over 44 million times, Earlonne is also involved in the Repeal California’s Three Strike Coalition which aims to end California’s draconian three strikes law.
While incarcerated, Earlonne founded CHOOSE1. The mission was to get the hip-hop community to leverage their platforms and fund the initiative that will free up to 40,000 men and women sentenced under the California Three Strikes Law.
Meet Chrisfino Kenyatta A CHOOSE1 Healing Influencer
Chrisfino Kenyatta Leal is a founding member and returned citizen of The Last Mile program at San Quentin. Upon his release from San Quentin in 2013, Kenyatta began a paid internship at Rocket Space and was subsequently promoted into Management and Sales positions with the San Francisco based technology campus. In 2018 Kenyatta joined The Last Mile full time as a Business Development Specialist. He also serves as an evangelist for The Last Mile and is a featured speaker at numerous conferences and corporate events.
Chrisfino Kenyatta Leal is a founding member and returned citizen of The Last Mile program at San Quentin. Upon his release from San Quentin in 2013, Kenyatta began a paid internship at Rocket Space and was subsequently promoted into Management and Sales positions with the San Francisco based technology campus. In 2018 Kenyatta joined The Last Mile full time as a Business Development Specialist. He also serves as an evangelist for The Last Mile and is a featured speaker at numerous conferences and corporate events.
Choose 1
Meet Chapple Simms A CHOOSE1 Healing Influencer
Chapple has a deep understanding of what it feels like to be directly impacted by the three strikes law. Sentenced to 23 years having to do at least 85 % of his sentence. In addition to the 23 years , Chapple was handed down an enhanced sentence of 10 years for a possession of a firearm. The courts were not accurate when applying a 10 year gun enhancement.
While incarcerated, he quickly became aware of the impacts of disproportionate and excessive sentencing within confined communities of color.
Seeing the punitive structure within the institutions, Chapple was inspired to reflect on how mercy and compassion can be applied. He had to be a part of the solution.
Through research and deep reflections, he saw other countries treated their incarcerated individuals with dignity and just mercy. Why not America?
While incarcerated he applied myself within rehabilitative opportunities. Seeing the healing component within connecting and sharing with others touched Chapple deeply. Applying himself, his services, he developed into leadership roles and a compassionate way of life. Assisting other justice impacted persons with reentry back into society .
Today Chapple is a person contributing to being a part of the solution as we heal together.
Meet John Yahya Johnson CHOOSE1 3X Historian
John “Yahya” Johnson
John "Yahya" Johnson is a co-producer on the Ear Hustle Podcast, a podcast advancing the voices of incarcerated people through the power of storytelling.
After being convicted and sentenced to a prison term of 30 years to life under California’s Three Strikes Law, John dedicated himself to carceral justice reform, and joined a policy group to confront and change systemic abuses of power through both the legislative and initiative process.
Since his release in April 2020, he has continued to be an integral part in the carceral and social justice reform movement by joining the Repeal California Three Strikes Coalition as a campaign consultant to repeal the three strikes law, and the Stop San Quentin Outbreak Coalition to address the systemic failures of government to effectively preserve the sanctity of life of those incarcerated people impacted by the Covid-19 virus in California’s prisons.
Meet Fanon Figgers CHOOSE1 Sentenced to 210 years to life under California's Three Strikes Law
Fanon Figgers
Fanon Figgers is currently a Campaign Consultant for the Repeal California’s Three Strikes Law Coalition. Formerly incarcerated for 24 years under this draconian law, Fanon was sentenced to 210 years to life. While incarcerated, he gained a knack for the emotional intelligence aspects as in to the why’s of social behavior. He now uses his life experiences and growth as a conduit to change the trajectory and views of incarcerated people.
WE Believe in Repealing The Three Strikes Law
With a healing approach for Criminal Justice Reform