Meet The Trainers
Jasmin Borges
Jasmin Borges is a formerly incarcerated woman who was sentenced to 12-15 years in 2007 She served 12 years of the 15 years and was released in 2019.
Entering the carceral system for the 1st time at the age of 21 and being the mother of 2 beautiful daughters was an experience like no other. It is an experience that she continues to unpack even today as a free woman 5 years later.
While incarcerated Jasmin earned her bachelorā€™s degree from Boston University, the 1st in her family to graduate from college. She also earned other certificates from the programming that was allotted to her in MCI Fram such as parenting, anger management, Culinary Arts.
She wasnā€™t truly healing from the traumas that brought her to prison. It wasnā€™t until she was introduced to Restorative Justice and its beliefs of healing and accountability that was she truly able to begin to reconcile with the harm she created and the harm she endured as well. She came home in 2019 on parole with a GPS shackle and completed parole that same year.
Since coming home Jasmin has become an activist, abolitionist, and advocate for the liberation of those she left behind the wall. She advocates for change, equality, and second chances. Because she believes all people are capable of change and deserve second chances.
She currently works for the Massachusetts Bail Fund as the Director of Organizing. The Massachusetts Bail Fund is a non-profit abolitionist organization that helps pay cash bail for community members who can not afford to do so on their own. Sheā€™s also currently earning an MS Degree in Science Project Management from Boston University. But more importantly, she is continuing to work on her relationship with her 2 daughters and is enjoying being a grandmother and experiencing life as a free woman.
Michael Nelson
Since his release from prison in 2018, Michael has continued to facilitate discussions on Restorative Justice and circle keeping with various communities of folks - including law enforcement, incarcerated individuals, college students, youths, and families. His commitment to contributing to the healing around him is rooted in his sense of obligation, as someone who is responsible for committing harm in the world.
Utilizing a restorative approach along his healing journey, as well as with being in circle, Michael has found that the clearest path to living in his truth has been through accountability, vulnerability, curiosity, and by holding space for radical acceptance. Through communal story sharing, Michael was introduced to the truth of our interconnectedness; and that in our Oneness is where we find collective wisdom.
Today, he continues to spread the experience of being in circle, as was gifted to him inside prison. He has been featured in films such as: The Mask You Live In, The Prison Within and a short, The Underdogs.
When heā€™s not sitting in a circle with his incarcerated community, you can find him with his dog, Morgan, enjoying time at one of the many beaches on the Central Coast of California.
David Basile
David Basile was born in 1952 in Santa Clara, CA. He was raised with principles and values which led to 38 years of incarceration. While at San Quentin State Prison, Dave was exposed to new ways of thinking about himself and the harm he had caused to others in his life. After being exposed to different principles and values centering around a commitment to self-reflection, accountability and service, Dave was able to heal his life and go on to become a contributing member of society. Dave is currently employed at Community Housing Partnership in San Francisco, which provides homes for those who are struggling economically, emotionally and financially to sustain themselves.
Darnell Hill
Darnell Hill is a Returned Citizen Advocate who works with adults and youth transitioning back into society. Darnell believes, “no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care!” Darnell has broken the cycles of incarceration, abandonment, toxic relationship codependency, and insecurity that led him down the path of self-sabotage. Darnell has over 2 decades of experience in cognitive behavioral training, Victim Offender Education Group (VOEG) training the trainer certificates, and 24 years of incarcerated experience as a past “lifer'' who was paroled from San Quentin State Prison on Oct. 2nd, 2014. Since Darnell’s release from incarceration, he has maintained his integrity to his family and community as a Case Manager and Returned Citizens Advocate. Darnell also believes that Restorative Freedom starts from the head to the heart. Darnell is a Patten University AA degree graduate in communications. Most importantly, Darnell is passionate about the holistic approach to the process of healing from the trauma that can stagnate us from becoming or being our true selves.
Rochelle Edwards
I began my journey in corrections working with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation as a victim offender dialogue facilitator in 1999. I then created a parenting group for prisoners at San Quentin State Prison who wanted to reconnect with their children. Inspired by working in the prison and the victim offender dialogue work I was doing, I created a restorative justice curriculum for prisoners to help them connect the dots of their lives and begin to heal. I have been a witness to the transformative journey of others and have also transformed my own life while doing this work and raising a family. As an ally and witness to this movement, I see myself as a bridge to help others learn about the effects of incarceration and the transformative impact of restorative justice.
