View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]
** Here’s a “One Time” — your monthly newsletter covering
------------------------------------------------------------
** all things ARC!
------------------------------------------------------------
** In your September 2025 note, you will find:
------------------------------------------------------------
* Correcting the Record – a feature story about Jared Villery's journey from jailhouse lawyer to ARC Expungement Manager by ARC Communications and Policy Strategist, Josh Pynoos
* I Mentored the Menendez Brothers. Here’s Why I Have Hope for Them - a powerful op-ed by ARC’s HART Team Director, David Amaya, in which he shares his experience mentoring the Menendez brothers and reflects on the transformative power of hope and second chances.
* Second Chances... to the Extreme! - a comedic look at ARC’s commitment to second chances
* September Highlights and Upcoming Events
* What Have You Always Wanted to Know About the Justice System but Were Too Afraid to Ask? - submit your anonymous questions to be answered in our next newsletter!
[link removed]
The first thing you notice about Jared Villery is his suits. Each day, he wears a different color that shines in the California summer sun. He has thirteen suits in rotation, many of which are made of Italian cloth, featuring a range of lush colors. From afar, you might think he’s an investment banker or a Hollywood power player.
But Jared is neither of those things. And he used to wear a different uniform for over 20 years, prison blues.
Today, Jared serves as the Expungement Program Manager at ARC, where he leads an effort to expunge past criminal records. While in prison in 2022, Villery learned about a new law that had just passed in California that would begin expunging past criminal records, even for those with past felony convictions. Villery knew it would be a “game changer.”
“There had been a form of expungement on the books for decades,” he explained, “but it was only for misdemeanors and felonies or wobblers that could be charged as misdemeanors. Very few people ever qualified,” he said about the prior expungement laws.
Once he was released from prison in 2024, he began volunteering at the ARC Expungement Project, ([link removed]) which assists individuals with past convictions in expunging their records ([link removed]) through the courts, because of a law passed in 2022, SB 731.
Now, Villery serves as the Expungement Program Manager at ARC, leading the organization’s legal work and collaborating with over 1,000 members across California to clear their records through the courts.
[link removed]
READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE ([link removed])
[link removed]
When Lyle Menendez first showed up for my class at Richard J. Donovan prison, I was only familiar with his trial from the media. By the time his brother, Erik Menendez, arrived a few years later, I had a better understanding of the abuse the brothers experienced and the depth of their genuine remorse.
For the last eight years, I have facilitated rehabilitative programming inside prisons for the Anti-Recidivism Coalition’s Hope and Redemption Program. Led by formerly incarcerated people like myself, I help people in prison confront their trauma, take accountability and gain insight into the harm they’ve caused, preparing them to be found suitable for parole.
[link removed]
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ([link removed])
** Second Chances…To The Extreme!
------------------------------------------------------------
A comedic look at ARC’s commitment to second chances
Our own Jacob Brevard shows us how deep ARC’s love for second chances really goes...🤣
[link removed]
** September Highlights!
------------------------------------------------------------
[link removed]
Alma Farms Visit
ARC recently visited Alma Backyard Farms, a sustainable urban farm that feeds the community and provides opportunities for formerly incarcerated people.
[link removed]
ARC River Rafting Trip
ARC spent three days on the American River with dozens of formerly incarcerated people, from young adults to men who’d spent decades inside, bonding through camping and rafting white water rapids.
[link removed]
AB 247 Passes the CA Legislature
AB 247, ARC’s bill to raise wages for incarcerated handcrews, has passed the California Legislature and now awaits the Governor’s signature.
[link removed]
VTC’s Jon Cesario Honored
ARC’s Jon Cesario has been named Advocate of the Year by the California Youth Defender Center for his tireless work supporting the cadets at Ventura Training Center (VTC). Congratulations, Jon!
** Upcoming Events!
------------------------------------------------------------
10/2/25: HART Graduation at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD)
10/25/25: ARC Breast Cancer Walk: Click to sign up! ([link removed])
10/30/25: HART Graduation at California Rehabilitation Center (CRC)
** What Have You Always Wanted to Know About the Justice System but Were Too Afraid to Ask? ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Submit your anonymous questions to be answered in our next newsletter! ([link removed])
[link removed]
Thank you for checking out our September newsletter! As always, please reply to this email with any questions or feedback. We love hearing from you.
Until next time!
Support ARC ([link removed])
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
Copyright (C) 2025 Anti Recidivism Coalition. All rights reserved.
You're receiving this because you are on our mailing list or signed up via the website.
Our mailing address is:
Anti Recidivism Coalition
601 N. Alvarado St
Los Angeles, CA 90026
USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences ([link removed]) or unsubscribe ([link removed])
