Glenn E. Martin, born and raised in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York.  He is the son of a retired police officer, brother of a federal correction officer and was formerly incarcerated himself. Today, Martin has risen to the role of Vice President of Development and Public Affairs and Director of the David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy at The Fortune Society, Inc., a social service and advocacy organization devoted to the successful reentry and reintegration of individuals with criminal histories. 

In his current role roles, Martin is responsible for developing and advancing Fortune’s criminal justice policy advocacy agenda and providing leadership over the agency’s Development and Communication Units.  After exiting prison in 2000, Martin began working at the Legal Action Center (LAC), eventually serving as the Co-Director of LAC’s National H.I.R.E. Network (HIRE), a national project dedicated to eliminating barriers to employment for jobseekers with criminal records. For Martin, his work is an authentic extension of his life.

In addition to testifying in from of Congress, the US Commission on Civil Rights and the US Senate, Martin has drafted and advanced major legislation to remove barriers to employment in six states, co-authored the Independent Committee on Reentry and Employment transition document for former NYS Governor Spitzer, and served as project manager on the largest audit study ever conducted in the US on race and criminal record based discrimination in low-wage labor markets. 

Additionally, Martin has written and advanced legislation and policy reform proposals in a number of states to remove barriers to housing, education and voting for formerly incarcerated people.  Specifically, Martin advocated to the US EEOC for the recently adopted US EEOC Title 7 Guidance on Jobseekers with Arrests and Conviction records.  In 2012, he served as keynote speaker at the Department of Justice’s Annual COPS Conference. 

Knowing both sides of the justice system has made Martin extremely well versed in the issues. Martin has appeared on several national news outlets, including CNN, MSNBC and CSPAN. He has also has served as an expert on local television and radio, contributing on the controversial issue of Stop and Frisk, as well as a number of other topics such as policing, alternatives to incarceration and reentry issues.  In addition to television appearances, Martin hosts a NYC- based cable television show, Both Sides of the Bars, where he engages criminal justice stakeholders and the local community in conversations about criminal justice reform. 

Mr. Martin is a former 2011-2012 Americas Leaders of Change National Urban Fellow and a member of the Board of the NY Foundation.   He also  currently serves on NYC Community Board #10, the NYC Council Task Force to End Gun Violence, NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s Ban the Box Advisory Board, Governor Cuomo’s Executive Work for Success Committee, NYS Executive Reentry Housing Committee, NYS Reentry Task Force, National Network for Safe Communities, the DCJS Service Provider Advisory Committee (SPAC), the Steering Committee of Reentry.net, the Correction Committee of the NYC Bar Association (adjunct), the Policy Committee of Interfaith Coalition of Advocates for Reentry and Employment (ICARE), the Employment Working Group of the NYC Discharge Planning Initiative, the Board of Directors of the College and Community Fellowship and a number of other boards and working groups addressing issues related to the reintegration of people with criminal records.

During our conversation, Glenn talks about:

– Shares a little a big of his background including how grew up in a single parent family of three boys in a tough neighbourhood in Brooklyn, New York
– Serving seven years in prison when he was younger and since he got out of prison 12 1/2 years ago he has been working on prison system reform in America
– The values that his mother instilled in him
– Why prison was a transformational experience for him
– Two key interactions that he had in prison that changed his life
– Why was he sad when he left prison
– His journey after he left prison
– His thoughts on the current American prison system and policing
– Provides some the background of the Fortune Society and how he got involved
– What does the Fortune Society do
– What do government and society need to do to improve the American prison system

You can connect with Glen via:

Website
Twitter
Phone: (212) 691-7554 (The Fortune Society)

Please feel free to email us at info@blackcanadianman.com

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God bless, peace, be well and keep the faith,
Dr. Vibe
info@blackcanadianman.com
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