Sean Taylor

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At only 17 years old, Sean made a terrible decision that would change his life forever. A former gang member who grew up in Colorado during the late eighties, he entered the prison system early, sentenced to spend the rest of his life there. Though others may have lost hope in similar circumstances, Sean was dedicated to bettering himself and others leading gang intervention work while incarcerated. After serving 22 years, his life sentence was commuted by Governor Ritter and he was released.

Sean took full advantage of his second chance for a fresh start and continued the self-improvement journey he started in prison to become the deputy director and certified fitness instructor of Second Chance Center. Currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, Sean leads by genuine example, driven to help others succeed and avoid the pitfalls of criminal behavior. He also sits on several committees addressing gang issues in Denver and Aurora and has been featured in the documentary, “Lost for Life”.

Dolphy Jordan

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Dolphy Jordan is living proof that all children have the capacity to change and grow.

At 16, Dolphy pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. He was released from prison in April 2010, after serving nearly 22 years. Since then, he has worked hard to build a productive life in the Seattle area.

During the more than 21 years he served in prison, Dolphy earned his GED.  After he was released, Dolphy earned an associate’s degree, graduating with honors. He has since been working on an undergraduate degree in social work while working fulltime for Therapeutic Health Services, a nonprofit organization that provides a wide array of services. Dolphy helps provide services to people who have been diverted to Drug Court, rather than to jail for low-level drug offenses. Dolphy connects Drug Court clients — many of them homeless people — to community resources, such as health and housing services, and assists them with employment and education. He also makes sure they have ID, health coverage, clothes — the essentials for building a successful life.

Dolphy’s early life was challenging. He was born in San Diego, and grew up in Seattle in an impoverished and abusive home environment. His father was addicted to drugs, and Dolphy’s mother relied on welfare to raise him and his sister.

By the time he was in the 9th grade, Dolphy had attended 15 or 16 different schools. He acted out, and was kicked out of some schools for truancy and bad behavior. At one point, his mom also kicked him out of the house. For a while, Dolphy bounced between the streets and various foster homes. He also started using drugs.

In 1989, Dolphy and two friends ran away to California together. One of the other teenagers hated his mother, who worked as a prostitute. One of the woman’s clients had abused Dolphy’s teenage friend, who had talked of wanting to kill his mom. Before they left Washington state, the three teenagers participated in her death, then went on the run. Dolphy was 16.

Dolphy quickly surrendered to authorities in California and took responsibility for his role in the crime. Authorities charged him as an adult, he pleaded guilty to killing the woman. A judge sentenced Dolphy to 27 years in prison. It wasn’t until about six years later — after he began to mature — that Dolphy understood how others had been harmed by his actions. One he realized that, Dolphy started working on becoming a better person.

Dolphy now advocates for changes in the laws regarding the ways we hold young people accountable. He also works with young people to encourage them to avoid the bad choices he made as a youngster.

Dolphy often shares his story with children, especially those dealing with truancy. He often goes to adult prisons in Washington state to talk about his journey. He said he understands he will have to deal with feelings of remorse his entire life.

“I’m not the same person I was at 16,” Dolphy said. “I will not be defined by my worst decision. I will be defined by the person I’ve become.”

Xavier McElrath-Bey

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Xavier McElrath-Bey serves as Executive Director of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY) and is a co-founder of the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network (ICAN).During his many years at the CFSY, Xavier has fought to abolish life without parole for children in America, and has played a role in ending this practice in several states including Nevada, Utah, Arkansas, South Dakota, and North Dakota.  At age 13, after accumulating 19 arrests and seven convictions, Xavier was arrested, charged with a gang-related murder, and sentenced to 25 years in prison.  
While growing up in prison, Xavier became increasingly remorseful for his past actions and decided to change for the better. Hopeful of someday living a “normal life,” Xavier prepared himself by earning an Associate’s degree in Arts and an Associate’s in General Education from Carl Sandburg College, a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Roosevelt University, and a certificate in Computer Technology. Xavier was also inducted into the Franklin Honor Society for outstanding scholarship. He began to envision a better life where he would be able to put his remorse into action — what he has referred to as his “eternal apology” to the victim in his case, Pedro Martinez, and his family.
In 2002, Xavier was released at age 26 after serving 13 years. 
While volunteering as a YMCA youth boxing coach, Xavier landed his first job as a Starbucks barista and decided to pursue a Master’s degree from Roosevelt University’s Counseling and Human Services Program. He graduated with honors in 2006, and since then, he has worked in various fields including violence prevention, youth counseling, clinical research, youth advocacy, and sentencing reform. Prior to his current employment at the CFSY, Xavier worked for Northwestern University’s Health Disparities & Public Policy program, where he conducted over 800 clinical research interviews with formerly incarcerated youth. In 2016, he met Pedro’s family in a restorative justice healing circle. That day, they forgave him and forged a relationship that continues to this day.
In addition to leading the CFSY, Xavier currently serves as a Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC) Advisory Council Member at MacArthur Foundation, an Advisory Council Member at Eighth Amendment Project, an Ambassador Alumni with Represent Justice, and an Advisory Council Member at Fair Chance Institute (FCI). He’s also served as a board member at the Community Justice for Youth Institute (CJYI) and as a member of the Chicago Police Accountability Task Force (PATF) working group on community & police relations.
Outlets including the New York Times, People Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Teen Vogue, PBS NewsHour, The Guardian, The Marshall Project, and others have shared Xavier’s story and advocacy efforts, and in recent years, he received the Justice Roundtable Excellence Award, the JustLeadershipUSA Leading with Conviction Award, the Bright Promises Foundation Champion for Children Award, and the 2023 Juvenile Law Center Leadership Prize in recognition of his visionary leadership and groundbreaking advocacy efforts at the CFSY.In his powerful TEDx Talk titled “No Child is Born Bad,” Xavier reminds all of us that no child should ever receive a “death in prison” sentence and that all children, including those who have made horrible mistakes, have the capacity for positive change.

Ralph Brazel, Jr.

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At 17, Ralph Brazel was given three life-without-parole sentences. Mr. Brazel was found guilty of being part of a drug operation led by adults, including older members of his own family. Nationwide, youth who are sentenced to life without parole often acted alongside adults, who are frequently given less harsh sentences. “It didn’t hit me until maybe a year or so later. I was just sitting down watching TV one day and I thought, I have life in prison. It was beyond belief.” In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Graham v. Florida that it is unconstitutional to impose life without parole on a child for a non-homicide offense. Mr. Brazel became eligible for parole and was released in 2013, weeks before his 40th birthday. Since his release, Mr. Brazel has become an advocate for sentencing reform. He speaks frequently to educate youth and others about life without parole for children.