Joel Castón is a member of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and is the first incarcerated person to win an election in the city.

Early life and incarceration

Castón was raised in Ward 8 of

His parents separated when he was a child due to his dad's

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...

. At age 12, Castón began dealing drugs with his cousins. When he was fifteen, his house was destroyed in a fire and his family was left homeless. In November 1994, Castón was charged with

first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...

in the shooting death of Rafiq Washington which occurred on August 14, 1994. In 1996, he was sentenced to 35 years to life. Castón was incarcerated a federal prisons until he was transferred to the

D.C. Jail The District of Columbia Jail or the D.C. Central Detention Facility (commonly referred to as the D.C. Jail) is a jail run by the District of Columbia Department of Corrections in Washington, D.C., United States. The Stadium–Armory station se ...

in 2016. While incarcerated, Castón earned a

GED The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of four subject tests which, when passed, provide certification that the test taker has United States or Canadian high school-level academic skills. It is an alternative to the US high ...

and took courses hosted by

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

. Castón also led a jail newspaper and wrote papers on criminal justice reform. He was a Christian worship music leader, a financial literacy officer, and started a mentorship program called the Young Men Emerging Program.

Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (formerly West; born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, media personality, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the sex ...

filed a motion for Castón's release. He was granted parole in April 2021, with a release date in December 2021.

Political career

On June 15, 2021, while residing in the

, Castón was elected to fill a vacant Advisory Neighborhood Commission seat in Ward 7. The Advisory Neighborhood Commission seat was created in 2013, but Castón is the first person to hold the seat and the first incarcerated person elected to public office in Washington, D.C. In the election, Castón beat four other incarcerated candidates.

Personal life

Castón has one daughter. Castón is a Christian. He speaks Spanish, French, Arabic, and Mandarin.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caston, Joel Year of birth missing (living people) Living people