Opening Plenary: From the Inside Out

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Tony Brown is currently incarcerated at Campus Kilpatrick. He was born addicted to cocaine due to his mother being under the influence of crack cocaine during her pregnancy. Tony was in and out of the foster care system until the age of two when he was adopted. He grew up in a single mother home with his biological brother and two adopted sisters. Tony was doing well at home and in school until his middle school years when he began spending time in the streets, doing drugs, and running away from home. At the age of 14, Tony committed a felony charge of murder. While incarcerated, he turned his life around and graduated from high school, obtained his Associates Degree in Sociology, and received acceptance letters from four universities – Southern New Hampshire, Chico State, Arizona State, and Oregon State. He currently attends Oregon State University online. Upon release from the facility, he plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with a concentration in Social Advocacy while working full-time. Tony has written a dog training proposal to be offered to youth, and his goal is to continue doing work with Paws4Life. He plans to help create opportunities for those in the juvenile justice system.

A motivational tour de force, Chef Jeff Henderson is an award-winning chef, critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author, philanthropist, television personality, and highly sought-after leader in personal and professional development of formerly incarcerated workforce talent. Known around the country for his dynamic and life-changing best practices, he illuminates probation and parole officers with proven, high-impact strategies that empower change, inspire fulfillment, and help them better inspire those on the caseloads they manage.  A southern California native, Jeff started his groundbreaking culinary career in the unlikeliest of places – federal prison. While serving nearly 10 years, he would discover a previously untapped passion for the art of cooking after fortuitously landing a job as a cook while behind bars. Using prison as a catalyst for self-transformation, he was released in 1996 and worked his way up from a dishwasher to a cook, and then executive chef of the former Café Bellagio in Las Vegas.  When Jeff is not traveling the country teaching his life-changing lessons, he resides in Las Vegas with his wife Stacy and their five children.

La Tasha Jones currently serves Contra Costa County Probation Department in California as a Juvenile Court Officer. During her 17 years in the department, she has enjoyed several roles including Recruitment and Retention Committee member, Unit Trainer, Thinking for a Change Facilitator, Core Correctional Practices Trainer, Peer Support Member, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee member, and Employee Recognition Committee member. Ms. Jones also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Probation and Parole Association. She is a regional representative and a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She gives back to her community by volunteering as a cheer coach, a girls empowerment speaker, and a presenter on the topic of women in law enforcement.

Director Jack Martin of the Clark County Department of Juvenile Justice Services has served over three decades in law enforcement both in the adult and juvenile arenas. Mr. Martin began his career in California before transitioning to both Arizona and Hawaii as a subject matter expert to assist those states successfully rebuild their troubled youth correctional systems. In 2009, Mr. Martin began a new role as Chief of the Nevada Youth Parole Bureau and is currently the Director of the Clark County Department of Juvenile Justice Services, also in Nevada. He is a national speaker on operational issues surrounding cultural change initiatives in law enforcement agencies and an expert in designing and teaching required classes for those working in the justice system both adult and juvenile. Mr. Martin holds degrees in Criminal Justice Administration and Communications.

Niki Martinez serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Youth Empowerment, a frontline, grassroots community organization serving youth, families and community in San Diego, CA. Youth Empowerment is a leader of San Diego’s Credible Messengers movement and has received local and national recognition for its efforts. Ms. Martinez is the primary contact between the staff and community partners. She works in the community to build resources, recruit clients, and raise community awareness. Prior to working at Youth Empowerment, Ms. Martinez served 25 years of a 45-year sentence for a crime committed when she was 17 years old. She was released from prison in 2019 and set out on a personal mission to make amends and help heal communities. However, while incarcerated, she became a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor, co-founded two organizations for juvenile offenders and a youth diversion program for at-promise youth in the community. She facilitated self-help classes for her peers and received an Associate of Arts degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences with a Certificate in Business. She has received certifications in a number of areas including but not limited to Trauma-Informed Counseling, Motivational Interviewing, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Ms. Martinez is also a lived-experience subject matter expert mentor. She also works with San Diego’s Old Globe Theater as a teaching artist and is a board member on the Restorative Justice Mediation Program in San Diego.