Nonprofit Founder Goes From 19 Years in Prison to Promoting Gang Prevention
May 23, 2024
A new documentary is highlighting the redemption of incarcerated individuals and showing that everyone deserves a second chance.
On Thursday’s episode of “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” Jennifer Hudson welcomed the cast and crew of the documentary “The 50,” including director Brenton Gieser, retired correctional officer Sol Irving, and former inmate and member of “The 50” Cameron Clark.
“The 50” follows the journey of the 50 men who became the country’s first incarcerated substance abuse counselors. The documentary shows how this group of inmates in an overcrowded California prison went through rigorous training in a groundbreaking program to become mentors to other inmates.
Sol told Jennifer that he came up with a system in 2006 to have some of the inmates in his prison train to become California certified substance abuse counselors to other inmates. He called it the Offender Mentor Certificate Program. Applicants had to write a 500-word essay about why they wanted to join, and 50 men were picked.
Since its inception, over 500 men and women have graduated from the program. According to Sol, the program reduces reoffending to less than 1% and sends healers into society.
Cameron, who served 19 years in prison, told Jennifer that he and the other participants in the program had to go through intense therapy as part of their training.
“That process was so deep,” he recalled. “It allowed us to heal, to address those issues, to address those traumas, to address all the nonsense going on.
“We were able to heal from that and move forward,” he added.
Many members of this program have been paroled and have reentered society with a newfound purpose to help others. For example, when Cameron eventually left prison, he launched the nonprofit D.O.V.E. (Developing Organizing Visions for Everyone), which provides case management services for formerly incarcerated individuals coming home from prison.
Dove was the name given to Cameron at 10 years old when he was recruited into a gang. He was regularly dealing drugs before entering high school and spent time in a juvenile correction facility before entering state prison.
“I always told myself, once I get to the point where I’m able to give back, I’m gonna change that up and I’m gonna give it back as a blessing,” Cameron told JHud.
The organization also works closely with at-risk youths between the ages of 15 and 26 to promote gang prevention and ensure that their rights are being met as they go through the court system.
Sol is extremely proud of what the members of this mentorship program have been able to accomplish. “I am floored every day to look at what this did to the Department of Corrections, to the prison system, and to these men and women who we’ve trained to be mentors,” he said.
“They’re helping the homeless in the community, they’re helping at-risk teenagers and kids in schools… They’re treating alcohol and drug addicts.
“They are, in my opinion, the best therapists in the world,” he added.
“The 50” is now streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. For more information, visit the50film.com.
For more information about D.O.V.E., visit dovebayarea.org.
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