Breaking Generational Chains: The Hidden Impact of ACEs on Black Fathers in Community Corrections

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Jason Adkins is an LCSW and the Director of One Love Counseling and The One Test Prep, both based in metro Atlanta. Jason has been a mental health provider since 1998 and has direct experience working with individuals incarcerated in county jails, state prisons, and juvenile justice systems throughout the state of Georgia. His work has been diverse in supporting inmates with their mental health and, in other cases, training law enforcement to improve the empathic response when they respond to individuals with mental health issues in the community. Jason was a professional athlete for 5 years and has since traveled the country as a professional speaker, engaging with collegiate and professional teams about ways to prioritize and manage mental health through partnership with SameHere.org

Johnny Alexander is a nationally respected voice in community corrections, trauma-informed supervision, and justice reform. With over 15 years of experience in the field, he currently serves as a Probation Officer Specialist with the U.S. Probation Office in the Eastern District of Louisiana. In this role, he provides expert guidance on high-risk, special needs, and complex supervision cases—especially those involving public safety concerns. Johnny is a licensed clinical social worker, master addiction counselor, certified cognitive behavioral therapist, and Clinical Certified Sex Offender Treatment Specialist (CCSOTS). He draws from his clinical expertise to help individuals address mental health challenges, trauma, substance use disorders, and sexually problematic behavior using evidence-based intervention strategies. Through his work, he has helped countless justice-involved individuals stop destructive behavioral patterns and rebuild healthier, purpose-driven lives. A graduate of Morehouse College (B.A. in Business Administration), Howard University School of Social Work (M.S.W.), and the University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law (J.D.), Johnny blends law, social work, and public health to drive human-centered reform. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Louisville’s Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work and Family Science, where he trains future practitioners in trauma-informed, culturally responsive supervision strategies. His areas of focus include intergenerational trauma, equity in reentry, and innovative approaches to community supervision. Known for his authenticity and compassion, Johnny is deeply committed to creating space for healing, humanity, and accountability in the criminal justice system.

John Sterling, MS, MRT is a medically retired United States Army Noncommissioned Officer who served as a certified Master Resiliency Trainer (MRT) and facilitated critical resiliency skill education to hundreds of service members throughout the world. John is a graduate of Arizona State University (BS-Liberal Arts), and Capella University (MS-Applied Sport Psychology). John founded Azimuth Leadership, LLC in 2017, a “behavioral health leadership” organization which provides consulting services with unique and culturally competent engagement in sports, military, educational and healthcare communities. In 2022, John launched the Alphas & ACEs Foundation. This initiative was the result of discovering the impact of his own Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) which now allow him to empower those he serves by LEANING into his story, LEARNING from it, and authentically LEVERAGING its lessons for a new season of leadership. John is currently operating as the Director of Men’s Services at the Fayette Pregnancy Resource Center (PRC) in Fayetteville, Georgia. In this role, he has the privilege to advocate for and mentor many fathers navigating the hidden impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), justice involvement and the road of re-entry.