Meet the Team

I am President of Families Shoulder to Shoulder. I spent 25 years in prison and know firsthand of all the disparities that exist. Further more, I am one of the co-founders of TEACH (Taking Education and Creating History) and Vice-president of the Black Prisoners Caucus Community Group. Not only that, but I'm a certified life coach, certified peer counselor, reentry navigator and caseworker.

My drive for criminal justice reform helps me advocate and help at-risk youth, influencing penitentiary reform, and working to build our community. As the President of Families Shoulder to Shoulder I have made it my work to reunite loved ones with family members and continue to be the bridge between the criminal/civil legal system and community.

Ginny lived through seeing her son, Willie Nobles, seduced by gang life when he was only 12 years old. Those activities led to him being sentenced to 96 years when he was only 18. Ginny has dedicated her life to helping other families to navigate the court systems and to work through the isolation of having an incarcerated loved one. In the years since her son was incarcerated, Ginny has worked tirelessly towards prison reform and aid for those suffering under the current system.

Ginny volunteers and has been an instructor of Education and Restorative Justice Classes inside many Washington State prisons, and was a contributor to the Washington State Criminal Sentencing Task Force, helping to refine the Sentencing Reform Act and improve draconian sentencing grids that keep people incarcerated for unjust lengths of time.

Jasmine was born and raised in Oakland, and moved to Berkeley after her birth mother served a lengthy prison sentence when she was a child. Being a child of incarcerated parents fuels her passion and commitment to dismantling the criminal system. Her work with families, specifically with children of incarcerated families, started when she was a middle school student.

When Jasmine attended UC Davis, she learned the Sociological perspective on the criminal system and the data behind it. Being invested in her community, she wanted to be a part of movements that advocated for human rights, gender and racial equity, and dismantling the injustice system. Her journey after UC Davis continued to the Iron Triangle, where her work with families supported her transition to begin working in East Oakland and discovering her newfound passion for Restorative Justice work.

Jasmine has worked with families and youth impacted by incarceration throughout Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and San Francisco County, working at Bay Area Community Resources (BACR), Community Works West, RYSE, and San Francisco Family Support Network. While at the RYSE Youth Center, Jasmine managed the First Restorative Diversion Program.

Jasmine most recently worked at a legal services agency as a Paralegal, supporting policy change/revisions and The Rising Scholars Program in the State of California, analyzing RAP sheets and filing expungements under 1203.4, Prop 47, and other terminations. She has filed hundreds of petitions, with many students having successfully granted petitions.

James Rollins is a dedicated community leader with over 20 years of lived experience, committed to justice, healing, and systemic change. He serves in multiple leadership roles advancing education, liberation, and advocacy for impacted communities:

• Families Shoulder to Shoulder – Special Events Manager
• Leads fundraising, community engagement, and event planning.
• Black Prisoners Caucus Community Group – Social Committee Director
• Organizes events to amplify the voices of incarcerated individuals, formerly incarcerated individuals, and the community.
• Transcend the Narrative – Founder
• Builds organizational unity for education and liberation within the prison system, for formerly incarcerated individuals and the community, while addressing homelessness and youth housing.

Samuel Hawkins is a community advocate, mentor, and volunteer leader dedicated to supporting marginalized youth, justice-impacted individuals, and families navigating difficult circumstances. Having personally experienced incarceration and the challenges of rebuilding life after prison, Samuel uses his lived experience to inspire hope, accountability, and transformation in others.

After serving more than 25 years in prison, Samuel returned to the community determined not only to change his own life, but to help create pathways for others to avoid the same struggles. Today, he works extensively with organizations focused on youth advocacy, restorative justice, violence prevention, reentry support, and family stabilization throughout the Seattle and King County area.

Samuel serves as a volunteer with Filthy Rags Outreach, where he helps connect individuals and families to housing resources, mentorship, employment opportunities, and community support systems. He is also involved with TeamChild as a board member and advocate for youth and families impacted by the juvenile legal system.

Samuel is passionate about restorative justice and believes strongly that people are more than the worst decisions they have made. Through outreach, public speaking, mentorship, and advocacy, he continues to work toward building safer communities and helping others find purpose, healing, and stability.

Johnta Hammond is a dedicated community leader, lived-experience expert, peer support professional, and advocate for justice-impacted individuals. Drawing from his own life journey, including years of incarceration and successful reintegration into the community, Johnta has committed his life to helping others overcome barriers and build pathways toward stability, healing, and self-sufficiency. His personal experiences provide him with a unique ability to connect with individuals facing challenges related to incarceration, homelessness, substance use, and community violence.

With more than 20 years of community organizing experience, Johnta has worked tirelessly to strengthen communities, empower marginalized voices, and promote equitable opportunities for those most impacted by systemic barriers. He has extensive experience in case management, peer support, life coaching, reentry navigation, crisis intervention, harm reduction, family navigation, and mental health advocacy. His professional training includes Certified Peer Specialist certification, Certified Life Coach certification, Crisis Intervention Training, Family Navigation, Harm Reduction practices, Undoing Racism training, and peer supervision development.

Johnta is skilled in de-escalation techniques and trauma-informed approaches that help individuals navigate difficult situations safely and constructively. As a peer professional and emerging peer supervisor, he is committed to mentoring others in the behavioral health and peer support fields while fostering accountability, leadership, and personal growth. His work is grounded in compassion, cultural humility, and a deep belief in the power of lived experience to create meaningful change.

Today, Johnta continues to serve his community through advocacy, mentorship, community organizing, and reentry support. Having been liberated from incarceration for the past three years, he remains committed to helping others discover hope, purpose, and opportunities for success. He is a devoted family man whose family consists of his partner, two children, and himself. Together, they inspire his ongoing commitment to building stronger families, safer communities, and brighter futures for the next generation.