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 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. Martin resigned from JLUSA before (December 17, 2017) being accused of sexual misconduct by three women. Prior to his resignation from JLUSA, Martin regularly commented on criminal justice in the media, including CNN,

C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American cable and satellite television network that was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises many proceedings of the United States ...

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

, and MSNBC.

Early life and family

Martin was born and raised in

Bedford Stuyvesant Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst t ...

, 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. He was detained on

Rikers Island Rikers Island is a island in the East River between Queens and the Bronx that contains New York City's main jail complex. Named after Abraham Rycken, who took possession of the island in 1664, the island was originally under in size, but has ...

for a year and served five additional years in the

Wyoming Correctional Facility Wyoming Correctional Facility is a medium-security state men's prison in Town of Attica, Wyoming County, New York. The prison is located adjacent to the better-known maximum security Attica Correctional Facility. The Wyoming prison first opened ...

in Attica, New York, for his role in several armed robberies.

Education

While in prison, Martin took college level courses. Martin views his liberal arts education as a key turning point in his life. While at the Wyoming Correctional Facility, Martin earned an associate degree in social science from the Jesuit

Canisius College Canisius College is a private Jesuit college in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1870 by Jesuits from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. Canisius offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and minors, and around 34 master's ...

based in Buffalo, New York. 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. 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."

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, and in the United States. In 2014, Martin gave a guest lecture at Bennington College on criminal justice reform.

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. Martin worked to address the obstacles facing ex-offenders who try to reconnect with their communities and society at large. 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. Martin regularly spoke with media regarding criminal justice issues.

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. Half of Fortune Society's staff members were formerly incarcerated, and one-third of the board members were formerly incarcerated. Martin regularly spoke with the national media about criminal justice issues.

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. Martin told Mic that he "believes the most compelling advocates of change are those who have been directly affected by incarceration." Martin appeared on the

Brian Lehrer Brian Lehrer (born October 5, 1952) is an American radio talk show host on New York City's public radio station WNYC. His daily two-hour 2007 Peabody Award-winning program,

show to discuss the purpose of prison. 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.

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.

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 Incarceration in the United States is a primary form of punishment and rehabilitation for the commission of felony and other offenses. The United States has the largest prison population in the world, and the highest per-capita incarceratio ...

and law enforcement issues. 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. Once cleared, Martin used the incident "to frame the topic for larger criminal justice reform". 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

*Never Be Caged "Closest to the Solution" Award (2019) *Working Families (2017) *Brooke Russell Astor Award (2017) *

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, was created by the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial in 1984, now known as the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights to honour individuals around the world who have shown great courage and have made a significant contr ...

(2016) *VOCAL 2016 Gala Honoree (2016) *The Root 100 (2015) *Legal Action Center's

Arthur L. Liman Arthur Lawrence LimanHaberman, Clyde ''The New York Times'', July 18, 1997. Accessed April 2, 2009. (November 5, 1932 – July 17, 1997) was a partner at the New York law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, and was well known for his ...

Public Interest Award (2015) *Crisis to Triumph Award, SUNY Empire State College (2015) *Kentucky Colonel, Highest Honor bestowed by KY Governor Steve Beshear (2014) *Youth Represent (2013) *Hudson Link for College in Prison Brian Fischer Award (2010) *United States Probation Office of Southern Ohio Achievement Award (2010) *Exodus Transitional Community: Lonny McLeod Award (2009) *United States Probation Outstanding Commitment Award (2009) *Project Build Organization Community Reintegration Programs Award (2009) *The Laurie L. Scott Visionary Award (2008) *Kings County District Attorney Citation of Honor (2008) *National Offender Workforce Development Annual Policy Advocacy Award Winner (2007) *Citizens Against Recidivism Thurgood Marshall Advocacy Award (2007)

References

External links

Glenn Martin on JustLeadershipUSA
via YouTube
Glenn E. Martin Addresses US Human Rights Network Biannual Conference
via YouTube
Glenn E. Martin, Keynote speaker at the 2012 National Community Oriented Policing Services Conference
via United States Department of Justice and YouTube
Glenn E. Martin
on Twitter {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Glenn E. American prisoners and detainees Prison reformers People from Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn American anti-racism activists African-American activists Living people American bloggers American male writers Activists from New York (state) American male bloggers 1970 births Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award laureates American people convicted of robbery