Onward Blog

Zach Ruppel says new Medicaid work requirements could harm access to healthcare for formerly incarcerated people

By JLUSA

September 3, 2026

JLUSA Policy Analyst Zach Ruppel (Leading with Conviction™ 2021) speaks about new Medicaid work requirements in the Columbus Dispatch.

Jennifer Toon speaks out about “cruel and unusual punishment” of deadly heat inside Texas prisons

By JLUSA

August 26, 2026

Cecilia Zavala on helping formerly incarcerated people learn digital skills

By JLUSA

August 24, 2026

“The program is designed to meet participants at their individual skill levels.”

SaulPaul talks about how Dream Lab expands the impact of his work as a children’s music artist

By JLUSA

August 19, 2026

“The goal is to help young people imagine a future worth building. We’re not just making songs. We’re building dreamers.”

David Garlock shares his powerful personal story in two recent podcast interviews

By JLUSA

August 17, 2026

David Garlock (Leading with Conviction™ 2019) and his brother received 25-year sentences in Alabama after taking the life of their abuser.

Quniana Futrell advocates for amending Virginia’s constitution to restore voting rights for people with felony convictions

By JLUSA

August 12, 2026

“I never got my mother’s vote. That one vote would have been the one that meant everything to me — but Question Three fixes that.”

Marilyn Winn receives pardon from Georgia’s State Board of Pardons and Parole

By JLUSA

August 10, 2026

“My record is so long that it took us about eight months to complete it. Once I completed it, they sent it in … and they gave me a pardon.”

DeAnna Hoskins on responsible AI adoption for grassroots and justice-focused nonprofits

By JLUSA

August 4, 2026

DeAnna Hoskins sat down recently for an interview with Mallory Erickson, host of the “What the Fundraising” podcast. Watch now!

Justice & The Next 250: Tearing Down the Walls We Build Around Ourselves and Each Other

By JLUSA

August 3, 2026

Lana Mendis (Leading with Conviction™ 2022) writes, “This is what I want the next 250 years to reckon with … the walls we build around each other …”

Yasmine Arrington Brooks celebrates the largest group of scholarship recipients in the history of ScholarCHIPS

By JLUSA

July 27, 2026

“Part of my story is that my dad has been in and out of jail and prison my whole life,” said Yasmine Arrington Brooks (Leading with Conviction™ 2019).

Lil Wayne explains how he recorded his 2010 album while incarcerated at Rikers Island

By JLUSA

July 24, 2026

During an appearance on the “Friends Keep Secrets” podcast, Lil Wayne explained how he recorded an album during his 8-month stint at Rikers Island.

Robyn Hasan Simpson honors John Lewis with “Good Trouble Lives On” march to Georgia state capitol

By JLUSA

July 22, 2026

“We’re the subject matter experts, so we should always be included in any decisions that are being made.”