The Community
Our mission is to foster the full potential of people with criminal records through Pre-entry and showcasing their successes, humanity, and agency through Correcting the Narrative.
Our mission is to foster the full potential of people with criminal records through Pre-entry and showcasing their successes, humanity, and agency through Correcting the Narrative.
Upcoming Events
For the most updated information on our events – sign up for our email list or follow us on social media.
March 6, 2023
First Step Act Screening & Panel at The Oriental Theatre In Milwaukee
When: March 6, 2023 at 6:00PM
Where: The Oriental Theatre – Milwaukee, WI
In a divided America, progressive activist and political commentator Van Jones controversially works across party lines on landmark criminal justice reform and a more humane response to the addiction crisis. Attempting to be a bridge builder in a time of extreme polarization takes Van and a coalition of unlikely allies deep into the inner workings of a divisive administration, internal debates within both parties, and the lives of frontline activists fighting for their communities.
Register Here: https://mkefilm.org/oriental-theatre/events/the-first-step
Facebook Event Link: https://fb.me/e/alIx2Dbz6
March 7, 2023
First Step Act Screening & Panel at UW-Madison
When: March 7, 2023 at 6:00PM
Where: UW-Madison – Madison, WI
In a divided America, progressive activist and political commentator Van Jones controversially works across party lines on landmark criminal justice reform and a more humane response to the addiction crisis. Attempting to be a bridge builder in a time of extreme polarization takes Van and a coalition of unlikely allies deep into the inner workings of a divisive administration, internal debates within both parties, and the lives of frontline activists fighting for their communities.
Facebook Event Link: https://fb.me/e/alIx2Dbz6
March 18 - 19, 2023
Emerging Leaders Training for those Directly Impacted by the Criminal Justice System
When: March 18, 2023 at 9:00AM – March 19, 2023 at 4:00PM
Where: Partners In Hope – 324 W North Ave, Milwaukee, WI
Join us for a FREE two-day advocacy training for organizers and activists who are directly impacted by the criminal justice system. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Attendance both days is required to earn completion certificate.
Registration deadline is February 24, 2023.
March 18th and 19th, 2023
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Partners in Hope
324 W. North Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 532212
A continental breakfast & lunch will be provided.
JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA) empowers those most affected by incarceration to drive policy reform. Through our Emerging Leaders trainings in cities across the country, as well as our yearlong Leading with Conviction training, JLUSA is building a nationwide network of advocates and organizers united by a shared vision for justice reform.
Emerging Leaders Training for those
Directly Impacted by the Criminal Justice System
About Emerging Leaders:
Emerging Leaders (EL) is facilitated by experienced and directly-impacted organizers and leaders, covers the principles of leadership: communication, storytelling, advocacy, policy, and capacity building.
Eligibility includes, but is not limited to, the following:
All EL participants must have a solid commitment to systemic criminal and/or juvenile justice reform. All EL participants must have had some prior criminal justice involvement which we define as anything from being placed in handcuffs up to serving an actual jail or prison sentence or anything in-between. Participants who are currently on probation or parole are also eligible to participate in the training. Participants with a family member who fits any of the aforementioned criteria are also eligible.
What happens at the training, and what skills will you develop?
Over the course of two days, we will cover five key concepts that support leadership and advocacy, based upon evidence-based best practices, the expertise of our trainers, and the experiences of leaders from your community. The five topics are:
- Leadership in Advocacy
- Communication in Advocacy
- Policy 101
- Advocacy and Organizing on the Ground
- Capacity Building
3 Principles of Leadership
Each session will apply directly to the work in our local community, and by the end of the two days we will have a shared grounding in the principles and practices of advocacy.
The three main goals for the training are:
Educate directly-impacted leaders on the skills, knowledge, and resources to become effective leaders, such as organizing, advocacy, policy analysis, capacity and coalition building, storytelling, and communications.
Empower leaders with tools to create change in their communities. JLUSA will provide tools and knowledge so directly-impacted leaders can use organizing and advocacy efforts to achieve community-led solutions.
Strengthen and expand JLUSA’s network of directly-impacted leaders, inclusive of individuals who are currently incarcerated.
*Training details will be provided once you are accepted*
Register Here: https://bit.ly/MILWAUKEE2023EL
Facebook Event Link: https://fb.me/e/2AqD7T8Mw
Latest Video, Podcast episode, and Newsletter Issue
Our latest podcast episode
Marlon Chamberlain, Campaign Manager for the Fully Free Campaign.
Our Latest Issue
Issue 35 – October 2022
All In All Out is a podcast partnership between The Community and the Milwaukee School of Engineering University Scholars Honors Program. It explores the nuance of topics and promotes greater collaboration in the reentry/reform/decarceration ecosystem in Wisconsin, as well as showcasing the successes, humanity, and agency of people with criminal records.
How to support this work

Donate with PayPal
Make a one-time donation or sign up for monthly donations here.

Donate with CashApp
Click the icon or use $thecommunitynow on the CashApp app.

Donate with Venmo
Click the icon or use @thecommunitynow on the Venmo app.

See our Free People Problems page for fundraising merchandise options and info about the meaning behind the words and design. It’s more than a slogan; it’s pyschology.

Heather Langton Photography
Heather Langton Photography captures the vibrance of unfiltered nature to bring renewed hope and healing to those who need it. They donate 25% of profits from photography purchases to The Community.

Dev Cabin Technologies
Dev Cabin Technologies offers digital solutions for your business or personal needs, whether you need web design and development, apps, digital marketing, and more. Use the name “The Community” and they will donate 20% to us.

Donate with PayPal
Make a one-time donation or sign up for monthly donations here.

Free People Problems Merchandise
See our Free People Problems page for fundraising merchandise options and info about the meaning behind the words and design of the logo. It’s more than a slogan; it’s pyschology.

Donate with CashApp
Click the icon or use $thecommunitynow on the app.

Donate with Venmo
Click the icon or use @thecommunitynow on the app.

Donate with Amazon
1. Go to Smile.Amazon.com
2. Log in using your regular Amazon account info
3. Add “The Community” as the charity.
OR go to settings on the Amazon app on your phone and activate AmazonSmile, then add us as the charity.
Amazon will donate to us .5% of every purchase you make at no extra cost to you.

Heather Langton Photography
Heather Langton Photography captures the vibrance of unfiltered nature to bring renewed hope and healing to those who need it. They donate 25% of profits from photography purchases to us.

Dev Cabin Technologies
Dev Cabin Technologies offers digital solutions for your business or personal needs, whether you need web design and development, apps, digital marketing, or more. Use the name “The Community” and they will donate 10% to us.
Our Team

Shannon Ross
Executive Director
Shannon served 17 years in prison in the Wisconsin prison system from the ages of 19 to 36. He created The Community in 2014 with the invaluable help of friends and family while finishing his bachelor’s degree in business administration. He is also a graduate student at UW-Milwaukee’s Masters in Sustainable Peacebuilding program, a fellow with the Wisconsin Decarceration Platform, a mentor with Prisons to Professionals, and co-owner of a transportation company. To learn more about his speaking engagements and innovative consulting agency (Paradigm Shyft: Reentry Strategies and Consulting), visit his LinkedIn page below.

Jim Kaufman
Jack-of-all-trades
Jim is an overall polymath with multiple degrees, graphic design expertise, legal acumen, and tech know-how who spent seven years in the Wisconsin prison system.

Ann Knoedler
Office Manager
Ann is a retired newspaper reporter and Vice President of the Uptown Crossing Neighborhood Association and manages a community garden in Milwaukee.

Roy Rogers
Preentry Liaison & Information Analyst
Roy is a public speaker, advocate for “juvenile lifers” in the Wisconsin prison system, and an associate of the Wisconsin Alliance For Youth Justice (WAYJ). Roy has over two decades of experience mentoring and counseling youth during his 28 years in prison from the age of 16. He is a graduate of the Madison Area Technical College and certified in Entry Level IT training at the New Horizons Computer Learning Center in Milwaukee and CompTIA ITF. And he also serves as a musician at the Progressive Baptist Church.
Our Directors

Tracie Sparks - President
Diversity & Inclusion Talent Acquisition Professional

Ryan Ramnarace - Vice President
Founding member of Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network

Iran Amandah - Treasurer
Co-founder of LRL Capital

Aldira Aldape - Secretary
Community Engagement Director Americans for Prosperity

Kobena-Marcus J. Collins
Diversity & Inclusion Advisor

Catherine Pederson
Founder & Executive Director of Loving Venti

Peter Borg
Consulting Historian

Steven Olikara
Founder of Millennial Action Project

Keith Stanley
Executive Director of Near West Side Partners, Inc.