Glenn E. Martin Explained

Glenn Martin
Birth Date:30 October 1970
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Education:Canisius College

Glenn E. Martin (born October 30, 1970) 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 resigned from JLUSA before (December 17, 2017) being accused of sexual misconduct by three women.[3]

Prior to his resignation from JLUSA, Martin regularly commented on criminal justice in the media, including CNN, C-SPAN, Al Jazeera, and MSNBC.[4] [5] [6] [7]

Early life and family

Martin was born and raised in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of a retired police officer.

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, New York.[11] Martin faced barriers to employment with a criminal record even though he had a college degree.

Release

In 2000, Martin was released from prison in upstate Attica, New York.[12] 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."[12]

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,[13] and in the United States.[14] In 2014, Martin gave a guest lecture at Bennington College on criminal justice reform.[15] [16]

Legal Action Center

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.[17] 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.[18] 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. On February 3, 2018, an article in The New York Times revealed that Martin's departure from JLUSA came after he was accused of sexual misconduct by at least three women of color.[27]

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, and 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.[28]

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.[29] 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.[30] Once cleared, Martin used the incident "to frame the topic for larger criminal justice reform".[30] 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.

Awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site:
    1. CLOSErikers - New York City Campaign to Close Rikers Island
    . www.closerikers.org. en-US. August 13, 2018. August 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180814001700/http://www.closerikers.org/. live.
  2. News: Mitchell. Josh. Obama's Plan to Restore Pell Grants for Prisoners Gets Mixed Reviews. The Wall Street Journal. July 28, 2015. August 2, 2015. August 1, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150801010457/http://www.wsj.com/articles/obamas-plan-to-restore-grants-for-prison-college-programs-gets-mixed-reviews-1438116959. live.
  3. Web site: Stewart. Nikita. A Report of Sexual Misconduct, a $25,000 Payment and an Activist's Abrupt Exit. February 2, 2018. The New York Times. February 3, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180203024335/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/nyregion/glenn-martin-rikers-advocate-report-of-sexual-misconduct.html. live.
  4. Web site: Changing Course on Drug Sentencing. MSNBC. August 2, 2015. March 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045615/http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/changing-course-on-drug-sentencing-238020163868. live.
  5. Web site: DC's newest odd couple addresses incarceration crisis. MSNBC. August 2, 2015. January 10, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150110041540/http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/dc-s-new-odd-couple-addresses-incarceration-303532099890. live.
  6. Web site: Will bipartisanship lead to prison reform?. MSNBC. August 2, 2015. May 31, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150531024727/http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/will-bipartisanship-lead-to-prison-reform--303538243759. live.
  7. Web site: Pilot program helps students in prison pay for college. MSNBC. August 3, 2015. August 2, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150802184512/http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/pilot-program-helps-prisoners-pay-for-college-496199235533. live.
  8. Web site: Yoder. Steven. Prisoner's Dilemma. Prospect.org. March 14, 2011. August 2, 2015. September 6, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150906234720/http://prospect.org/article/prisoners-dilemma-0. live.
  9. Web site: Bader. Eleanor. Formerly Incarcerated Activist Leads Organization to Mobilize Hearts and Minds for Decarceration. July 29, 2015. TruthOut. August 2, 2015. July 30, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150730071545/http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/32097-formerly-incarcerated-activist-leads-organization-to-mobilize-hearts-and-minds-for-decarceration. live.
  10. Web site: Woyton. Michael. Education transforms lives. Poughkeepsie Journal. August 2, 2015.
  11. Web site: Gray. Katti. From Prison to Policymaking. March 9, 2010. August 2, 2015. July 21, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150721083913/http://diverseeducation.com/article/13611/. live.
  12. Stier. Ken. March 6, 2009. Another By-Product of the Recession: Ex-Convicts. Time. August 2, 2015. June 26, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150626162419/http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1883575,00.html. live.
  13. Web site: Evelly. Jeanmarie. NY Prisoners Counted Differently, But Still Not Voting. citylimits.org. January 17, 2012. City Limits. August 2, 2015. April 16, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150416165051/http://citylimits.org/2012/01/17/ny-prisoners-counted-differently-but-still-not-voting/. live.
  14. Web site: How Felon Disenfranchisement Confines Democracy. HuffPost Live. August 2, 2015. December 8, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208075740/http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/felon-disenfranchisement-midterm-elections/54497750fe3444a1ba0002ea. live.
  15. Web site: Carson. Derek. Glenn Martin: Justice system is broken. Bennington Banner. August 2, 2015. September 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923183713/http://www.benningtonbanner.com/localnews/ci_25605158/glenn-martin-justice-system-is-broken. live.
  16. Web site: Keynote Address: Glenn Martin. Vimeo. Bennington Lectures. August 2, 2015. December 8, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151208141034/https://vimeo.com/109660023. live.
  17. Web site: Heinlein. Sabine. From The Inside Out. June 7, 2007. The Brooklyn Rail. August 2, 2015. September 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150914115225/http://brooklynrail.org/2007/06/local/from-the-inside-out. live.
  18. Web site: Martin. Michael. Study: Ex-Cons Face Race Barriers in Job Search. NPR.org. National Public Radio. August 2, 2015. March 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304213739/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12556601. live.
  19. Web site: The Prying Game. New York Post. September 24, 2007. August 2, 2015. May 7, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150507223423/http://nypost.com/2007/09/24/the-prying-game/. live.
  20. Web site: Rosenberg. Tina. For Ex-Prisoners, a Haven Away From the Streets. The New York Times. January 18, 2011. August 2, 2015. September 11, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150911002552/http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/17/for-ex-prisoners-a-haven-away-from-the-streets/. live.
  21. Web site: Tim . Devaney . Feds recommend ex-cons for hard-to-fill jobs . . July 4, 2011 . August 2, 2015 . July 9, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110709205720/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/4/ex-cons-recommended-for-hard-to-fill-jobs/?page=all . live .
  22. Web site: Chen. Michelle. Keeping Former Prisoners Out of Prison. Gotham Gazette. August 2, 2015. September 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924023400/http://www.gothamgazette.com/index.php/topics/4003-keeping-former-prisoners-out-of-prison. live.
  23. Web site: Dyer. Herbert. Locking up black men makes us safer, says NYC GOP mayoral candidate. allvoices. August 2, 2015.
  24. Web site: About Us. justleadershipusa.org. JLUSA. August 2, 2015. August 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150814040952/https://www.justleadershipusa.org/about-us/. live.
  25. Web site: Moore. Darnell. 11 People Who Used to Be in Jail — But Are Now Changing the World. August 2, 2015.
  26. Web site: What is Prison For? Piper Kerman and Glenn Martin. Brian Lehrer Show. August 2, 2015. August 8, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150808022233/http://www.wnyc.org/story/ex-convicts-what-punishment-works/. live.
  27. Web site: Stewart. Nikita. A Report of Sexual Misconduct, a $25,000 Payment and an Activist's Abrupt Exit. The New York Times. February 2, 2018. February 3, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180203024335/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/nyregion/glenn-martin-rikers-advocate-report-of-sexual-misconduct.html. live.
  28. Web site: Board of Directors . 2023-07-05 . United Black Family Scholarship Foundation . en-US.
  29. Web site: Surico. John. What It's Like to Visit the White House as an Ex-Con. vice.com. July 10, 2015. Vice. August 2, 2015. August 11, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150811032405/http://www.vice.com/read/what-its-like-to-visit-the-white-house-as-an-ex-con-702. live.
  30. Web site: Kates. Graham. Glenn Martin's "prison-like" White House experience. cbsnews.com. July 2, 2015. August 2, 2015. July 29, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150729172702/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/glenn-martins-prison-like-white-house-experience/. live.
  31. Web site: NYPL Hosted 2017 Annual Spring Dinner Honoring Individuals Who Lives Exemplify Dedication to Lifelong Learning . May 31, 2017 . Enspire Magazine . https://web.archive.org/web/20170616132601/http://enspireusall.com/2017/05/31/nypl-hosted-2017-annual-spring-dinner-honoring-individuals-who-lives-exemplify-dedication-to-lifelong-learning/ . June 16, 2017.
  32. Web site: Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. rfkhumanrights.org. en. July 8, 2017. July 1, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170701041408/http://rfkhumanrights.org/news/news/criminal-justice-reform-advocates-andrea-james-and-glenn-e-martin-selected-33rd-annual-robert-f-kennedy-human-rights-award/. live.
  33. News: VOCAL-NY Annual Gala. April 23, 2015. VOCAL. July 8, 2017. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20170627113655/http://www.vocal-ny.org/gala/. June 27, 2017. dead.
  34. Web site: Glenn Martin: The Root 100 2015 - the Root . September 9, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150911202229/http://www.theroot.com/articles/lists/2015/09/the_root_100_2015/glenn_martin.html . September 11, 2015 .
  35. Web site: The Most Influential African Americans Tweet Their Excitement at Appearing on 2015 the Root 100 List - the Root . September 10, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150910081448/http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2015/08/the_most_influential_african_americans_tweet_their_excitement_for_appearing.html . September 10, 2015 .
  36. Web site: 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. August 2, 2015. September 10, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150910021412/http://lac.org/jpmorgans-general-counsel-steve-cutler-and-founder-of-justleadershipusa-glenn-e-martin-to-be-honored-at-legal-action-centers-2015-benefit/. live.
  37. Web site: Youth Represent's Annual Benefit on October 30, 2013 Honoring Glenn Martin | Youth Represent . August 3, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305021426/http://www.youthrepresent.org/2013/08/save-the-date-youth-represents-annual-who-takes-the-cake-benefit-on-october-30-2013/ . March 5, 2016 . dead .