’It’s not that bad’.....But it is. Tyrone Walker talks about his introduction to the US penal system at the age of 19. And the value of mentor wisdom ...

Tyrone Walker entered the American prison system at the age of 19. In this candid conversation he describes where he came from, what it was like entering prison and the benefit he gained from the wisdom of a particular older peer.

After serving nearly 25 years in prison, Tyrone earned a certificate in business and entrepreneurship through the Georgetown Pivot Program. His Pivot Program internship with the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) led to a full-time position, in which he used his lived experience and subject matter expertise to effect policy changes. There, Tyrone spent two years advocating for sentencing reform and managing JPI’s projects around D.C’s Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA) and Second Chance Amendment Act. As Director of Reentry Services with the Prisons and Justice Initiative, he supports students with their reentry needs both before and after release. He believes that helping our men and women while they are still on the inside is the most effective way to bridge the gap towards a successful reentry. When he is not working, he is taking classes online to earn his bachelor’s degree in political science.