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We Own Our Stories!

No one can enlighten a court house, parole board, school, or employer better than individuals who have experienced the school-to-prison pipeline and have returned to society after spending decades within the the prison industrial complex and are re-emerging as returning citizens.

Team Members (ASRS) of former Juvenile lifers without parole

What is ASRS?

Alternative Sentencing & Reentry Solutions (ASRS) is advancing youth justice, addressing extreme sentencing for adolescents.

 

ASRS facilitate reentry services for former Juvenile Lifers, healthcare, housing, employment, and education.

 

Harnessing the experiences of team members who once faced death by incarceration as children, ASRS engages with at-risk youth to advert from paths leading to the criminal justice system.

 

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Proud Partners with
WCC Incubator Program

 

Wcc incubator program
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Experience Services

Chelsea Richardson Mitigation Specialist Supervisor for the  Michigan State Appellate Defender Office (SADO)’s Juvenile Lifer Unit (JLU):

 

Familiarity with the inner workings of Michigan prisons and the criminal legal system is paramount to this work. Formerly incarcerated individuals, especially former  juvenile lifers, possess indispensable knowledge, wisdom, and experience that can be applied to roles within the legal defense team. These roles include:  

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• Expert: With their lived experiences as juvenile lifers in the Michigan prison  system, ASRS experts could provide expert testimony, reports, or consultation related to adjustment and culture in prison, MDOC policies and  procedures, and the reentry process....

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• Mitigation specialist: ...SADO utilizes the services of in-house mitigation specialists and contracts  with qualified private-practice mitigation specialists.

 

• Reentry specialist: ...At SADO, some of our most successful reentry specialists have been  former juvenile lifers who used their life experiences to support returning  citizens in their journeys home.

Law Firm

Executive Director

ASRS, and Executive Director, Edward Sanders, LLMSW (former Juvenile Lifer Without Parole) (1975 - 2017) is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Social Work (2018-2020) a former Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney Conviction Integrity and Expungement Unit paralegal (2021, U.S. DOJ grant) a present law School candidate, (Fall 2024) a Detroit Justice Center board member (2021 - present) and DJC extern (2019-2020) and a former (2021) and present (2023) consultant and research assistant at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

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Team Members

ASRS, Executive Director and team members:

  • Experienced school-to-prison pipeline

  • Resentenced from life to a term of years 

  • MDOC Parole board vetted and paroled

  • Discharged from parole and sentence

  • Non-recidivist 

  • No outstanding warrants or under investigation

  • Employed and/or in school

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Specialized Services

Formerly incarcerated individuals who have overcome the school-to-prison pipeline offer valuable insights into adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Their firsthand accounts can raise awareness and advocate for:

Early Childhood Trauma: Sharing experiences to highlight its lasting effects.
Unaddressed ACEs: Emphasizing the need for intervention and support.
Various Forms of Abuse: Shedding light on abuse's impact on mental health.
Witnessing Domestic Violence: Advocating for resources to support affected families.
Living with Substance Abuse or Mental Illness: Addressing challenges and advocating for accessible services.
Coping with Suicidal Family Members: Stressing the importance of mental health awareness.
Family Member Incarceration: Discussing stigma, trauma, and support for affected families.
 

If you are an Attorney...

ASRS team approach is consistent with The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY) drafted Trial Defense Guidelines that have received endorsements from national organizations as noted here.
Post incarceration, ASRS facilities reentry services 


 

If you are a School, Community Center, or Place of Worship...
ASRS utilizes former adolescents with school to prison pipeline experiences as peer counselors with at risk youth.




 

If you are a Funder or Corporate Sponsor...

You may sponsor one of ASRS's programs;
1. Former Juvenile Lifers working as interns assisting attorneys representing children in adult courts. Learn More Here
2. former adolescents with school to prison pipeline experiences as peer counselors with at risk youth.
3. 
Comprehensive reentry resources including housing, employment, and reentry workshops.

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