Vandrick Towns is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor Specialist and ex-lifer.
Vandrick became a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor through the Offender Mentor Program at Solano State Prison. While serving 25 years of his life sentence, Vandrick also finished high school, completed two college degrees, and became a state and nationally certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor.
Vandrick has dedicated his professional life to providing other ex-lifers with the tools they need to be successful in their new lives. He is a Certified Denial Management & Relapse Prevention Specialist, an active member of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, and sits on the Board of Directors of We’re Here Nonprofit. Vandrick recently became a homeowner and started his own Consulting business in which he helps other people rise above their circumstances.
Garry “Malachi” Scott is the re-entry/community restorative justice coordinator for Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth. He holds restorative circles in the juvenile detention center and he is helping to build a community restorative justice framework in North Oakland. He co-founded the North Oakland Restorative Justice Council and served on the Safety and Services Oversight Commission (Measure Z) in Oakland.
Malachi has journalistic experience with written articles in the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and featured on other articles around the issue of incarceration. He played a major role in Shakti Butler’s film “Healing Justice.”
He came to restorative justice through the Victim Offender Education Group, a program of the Insight Prison Project, while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. During his incarceration he obtained an Associates Degree, co-founded a restorative justice base group called Kid C.A.T. (Creating Awareness Together), and was the sports editor for the San Quentin News.
He is also a certified Life Coach.
