We are deeply saddened to announce that Daniel Jones, a valued member of our board of directors, has passed away. He made significant contributions to Nation Outside during his time with us, and we are grateful for his dedication and service. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family and loved ones. Dainiel Jones will be greatly missed, and his legacy will continue to inspire us as we move forward.
Daniel Jones was the Outreach & Engagement Coordinator for the Michigan Collaborative to End Mass Incarceration (MI-CEMI), a consultant for American Friends Service Committee - Michigan Criminal Justice Program (AFSC-MCJP), and a board member for Nation Outside. As a former Juvenile Lifer, Daniel served 23 years inside the Michigan Department of Corrections, and was involved with prison organizations, such as the National Lifer of America, Inc. (NLA), the Michigan Junior Chambers of Commerce (JayCees), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
His involvement in the NLA enabled him and a small group of others to take on the task of creating a peer-to-peer, curriculum-based program to help other incarcerated individuals navigate their way through the parole process, commutations, and public hearings. “The Personal Enrichment & Parole Readiness Program” was facilitated at four prisons and portions of the curriculum are still sent to people currently incarcerated, as a means of self-help.
Since Daniel’s release in 2019, he co-facilitated two national convenings - one in July of 2019, in Detroit, called “Ending Perpetual Punishment”, which is a campaign to end life and long-indeterminate sentencing practices; and the second in November of 2019, in Washington D.C., called “Unlock The Box”, which is a campaign to end the use of solitary confinement inside of prisons. Daniel had also completed a three-day training with Emergent Strategies Institute, had done speaking engagements at MSU Law School, University of Michigan, and Central Michigan University, he started a small business, and was enjoying his freedom.