Legal Services for Prisoners with Children

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Legal Services for Prisoners with Children

Building a Movement, Not Just Another Non-Profit

"Elder" Freeman Policy Fellowship

The Ronald “Elder” Freeman Memorial Policy Fellowship is a project of Legal Services for Prisoners with Children. Ronald “Elder” Freeman was a legendary revolutionary pillar in the Bay Area, a lifelong Freedom Fighter in the Black Liberation Struggle and an original member of the Southern California chapter of the Black Panther Party. This fellowship honors his work and legacy.

We are looking for three (3) formerly incarcerated (jail or prison) people to join our office for an intensive yearlong fellowship program to learn grassroots organizing, legislative and administrative advocacy, and other strategies to run local and state campaigns with the goal of elevating the leadership of formerly incarcerated people in criminal justice reform.

Policy fellows work with coalitions and legislative offices to draft bill language and move up to three bills through the legislative process. Our policy fellows advocate for releasing incarcerated people, reunifying families, and restoring human and civil rights through storytelling, public speaking, and social media campaigning. They engage with and empower their communities through grassroots organizing. Over the course of the year, our fellows develop the critical skills and experience necessary for a full-time position as an organizer or criminal justice advocate.

Communications Fellow

We are looking for a (1) formerly incarcerated (jail or prison) person to join our office for an intensive year-long Communications fellowship program to develop effective multi-media campaign strategies and content creation (social media, video, audio, graphic design, etc.) with the goal of elevating the work of formerly incarcerated people in criminal justice reform.

We are accepting applications for the 2022 Elder Freeman Policy and Communications Fellowships through Friday, November 19, 2021.

Full Description & Application Process
2022 Elder Freeman Policy Fellows
2022 Elder Freeman Policy Fellow

Alissa Moore
2022 Elder Freeman Policy Fellow

Marvin Galdamez
2022 Elder Freeman Policy Fellow

Tatania Lewis

2022 Elder Freeman Policy Fellow

Alissa Moore

Alissa has been directly impacted since her youth, having served over 23 years in state prison on a 15 to life sentence handed down as a juvenile. She came to this work from the Earth Island Institute where she interned for Greenlife: her primary focus was working with formerly incarcerated peoples navigating the return to a world that had changed significantly in our absence with an emphasis on environmental impact.

She’s honored to have been selected as a 2022 Elder Freeman Policy Fellow because she feels LSPC is more in alignment with her passion for working with and on behalf of currently incarcerated folks. 

2022 Elder Freeman Policy Fellow

Marvin Galdamez

Marvin was born in El Salvador and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He’s 41 years old. In 2005 Marvin was sentenced to 10 years in the California Department of Corrections. Upon his release in 2013, he served 5 years on parole. He chose to be an Elder Freeman Fellow to be a voice for those that are still incarcerated, as well as those that are “free” but are still either on parole, probation, or are still dealing with the devastation and stigma of having a criminal record.

At LSPC, Marvin is most excited about engaging in speaking up for incarcerated people through legislative and administrative advocacy. He’s excited at the prospect of participating in drafting and passing bills that may one day help bring relief to incarcerated people.

2022 Elder Freeman Policy Fellow

Tatania Lewis

As an African American growing up in the Hunters Point district in San Francisco, Tatiana has experienced poverty and a system that was supposedly created to help us, but in actuality seems to be designed on tearing black, brown, and low-income communities apart.

She has lost many family members to the system, as well as has had her own experience in and out of incarceration as a juvenile through young adulthood. Because of her experiences, Tatiana became committed and persistent to change the system for young teens and young adults.

As a woman, Tatiana believes in having faith, and she believes that she is here to help those who are in need, such as those incarcerated and impacted by the system that causes nothing but pain and suffering. Tatiana fondly anticipates learning and growing and expanding this opportunity for the greater good.

(Left to right): 2021 Policy Fellows Shani Shay, Jeronimo Aguilar, Kevin McCarthy, Communications Manager Troy Williams, Staff Attorney Kellie Walters, Policy Manager Joanna Billingy, Policy Fellow Jesse Burleson, State Senator Steven Bradford, USI advocate Tonatiuh Beltran, and Policy Fellow John Cannon at the CA Capitol in Sacramento.

(Left to right): 2021 Policy Fellows Shani Shay, Jeronimo Aguilar, Kevin McCarthy, Communications Manager Troy Williams, Staff Attorney Kellie Walters, Policy Manager Joanna Billingy, Policy Fellow Jesse Burleson, State Senator Steven Bradford, USI advocate Tonatiuh Beltran, and Policy Fellow John Cannon at the CA Capitol in Sacramento.

2021 Policy Fellows (clockwise from bottom left) Alex Dias, Jeronimo Aguilar, Shani Shay, John Cannon, and Jesse Burleson discuss their legislative campaigns on AOUON's biweekly One Community, One Mic show with host Communications Fellow Tariq "Soul Brother #9" Palmer (bottom right).

2021 Policy Fellows (clockwise from bottom left) Alex Dias, Jeronimo Aguilar, Shani Shay, John Cannon, and Jesse Burleson discuss their legislative campaigns on AOUON's biweekly One Community, One Mic show with host Communications Fellow Tariq "Soul Brother #9" Palmer (bottom right).