Rediscovering hope through self-forgiveness | Billy Johnson | TEDxDonovanCorrectional 2017
Even as a high school football star, Billy Johnson fell into a dark tunnel. Within a 9-month period, Billy’s two most important people were killed and he felt responsible for both deaths. He found his light switch after 20 years of incarceration, which led him to rediscover hope through self-forgiveness. "I see myself as caring, earnest, loyal and full of life. I want to bring happiness to a person’s day. If I notice someone isn’t happy or feeling well, I want to make him smile. I find joy and passion in team settings; I love to work with others. What got us where we’re at does not need to define us. I love sports and working out."
After my husband was murdered | Dionne Wilson | TEDxSanQuentin 2016
In 2005, Dionne Wilson’s police officer husband was killed in the line of duty. She wanted his killer found and sentenced to death. Speaking from the stage at San Quentin State Prison where her husband's killer sits on Death Row, listen to Dionne's story. As the Survivor Outreach Coordinator for Californians for Safety & Justice, Dionne Wilson speaks with crime survivors all across California. Through the Insight Prison Project, Dionne also meets with men and women convicted of violent crimes and has found that restorative justice practices are far more effective at stopping crime than vengeance has ever been. Through this work, Dionne has discovered a newfound passion for life and love of people that didn’t seem possible after her own husband was murdered. She now advocates for services that break the cycle of violence: trauma recovery for victims, drug treatment, mental health services, education, and job training.
Forgiveness, a path to redemption | Yusef Salaam | TEDxSingSing 2014
This talk focuses on using forgiveness as a path to redemption, rebuilding relationships and community. The fifth suspect in the Central Park Jogger case, at 15 years old Yusef Salaam was wrongly accused and convicted of assaulting a female jogger in Central Park. He spent 7 years of a 10-year sentence incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. In 2002, based on a confession and DNA evidence, the Central Park Five convictions were vacated. Today, he is committed to advocating and educating people on the issues of false confessions, human rights violations and criminal justice.
A journey of forgiveness | Ellen Rutledge | TEDxIronwoodStatePrison 2014
From the perspective of a mother whose son was murdered in 2008, Ellen Rutledge speaks on the topic of her journey of forgiveness, which is the ultimate gift to herself. Ellen Rutledge began her second career in the clerical field at Ironwood State Prison after resigning from the Palo Verde Unified School District where she worked as a Paraprofessional in Special Education for nearly 30 years, beginning with the elementary grade levels and progressing to the high school senior level. Since the murder of her son, she has been compelled to speak out on topics that reflect her journey through the grieving and forgiveness process. She is actively involved with the planning of the Crime Victims’ Service conducted annually during the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week at Ironwood State Prison in conjunction with Chuckawalla State Prison.