Kent Mendoza

Kent Mendoza was born in Mexico but migrated to the United States at the age of six. He grew up in Los Angeles County where at an early age he was exposed to gangs, drugs and violence. He joined a gang at the age of fourteen and was incarcerated at fifteen. After serving five years in the Department of Juvenile Justice, he was released in 2014 and joined the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, working as a mentor for the formerly incarcerated and an advocate for criminal justice reform.

Today, he serves as ARC’s Policy Coordinator. Previously, Kent worked for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce where he began as an intern and was promoted to full-time staff member. He has participated in the selective Commission Training Program, sponsored by the Liberty Hill Foundation’s Wally Marks Leadership Institute and was awarded a Certificate of Acknowledgment by Los Angeles County Supervisors Hilda Solis and Sheila Kuehl. Most recently, Kent was appointed to the State Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention by Governor Jerry Brown.