Representative Kevin Chambliss (D-Homestead) earlier today welcomed the opportunity to participate in a Positive Peer Leadership Mentoring (PPLM) Summit held at the Everglades Correctional Institution (ECI). The Positive Peer Leadership program was founded in 2016 by an incarcerated ex-death row prisoner and retired gang members at ECI to help discourage others and at-risk youth from violent actions and behavior. The mentoring program has been lifestyle-changing for some participants with criminal backgrounds. The conversation includes incarcerated men and women mentors who experienced with this behavior. The focus is to engage in a dialog with prominent officials and professionals to address preventive measures and solutions for at-risk youth and others.
“When policymakers convene to deliberate on how to stop violence, incarcerated individuals are never at the table. The Summit seeks to elevate the voices of men who were once the drivers of violence but are now catalysts for change and their contributions are extremely valuable,” said program sponsor Wayne Rawlins, Miami-Dade County Anti-Violence Initiative
“As a consistent advocate for crime prevention, safe communities, and solutions for at-risk youth, this program is instrumental by helping to address and alter the mindset of at-risk youth. I was eager to listen to the initiatives the Positive Peer Leadership Mentoring program has already implemented, the progress, and additional solutions that may help promote this effort,” said Representative Chambliss.
