About Us

About Chris: Having first seen incarceration at the age of 16, being sent to a Juvenile Detention facility due to my inability to attend school regularly, I learned early on in life about the loss of liberty, freedom and rights. It would not be long after that I received a 1.5 to 8 year prison term for Burglary, Unlawful Trespass and a slew of other misdemeanors. I was 18 years old and quickly learned how so naive I truly was to a system that I was taught to respect and believe were fair and impartial, from law enforcement, the court system and prison.

Having a loving and caring family, I was able to not fall into the hole that unfortunately so many offenders do. I chose to stand tall, learn the legal system inside and out as well as the corrections system that held so much power over my life. In doing so, I began fighting for the rights of prisoner's almost immediately, assisting them with their criminal appeals, as well as representing them at disciplinary hearings inside the prison. I used my right of the grievance system to help effect change from within. I became, what corrections likes to call "a problem inmate".

To further my education from within, I took the DOC offered "Law Librarian/Legal Assistant" course. I completed it with flying colors and soon was the head Legal Assistant at one of Vermont's largest prisons. I was assisting any prisoner who needed it, many winning not only their Court cases, but also their claims against the DOC. One faithful day I was terminated from that position, told that "I was creating too many waves and doing my job too well". That following morning in the wee hours corrections officers came to my cell and packed my belongings. I was being transferred to the State of Virginia Department of Corrections, Greensville Correctional Facility.

It was there I stayed for two years. I wasted no time. I filed a lawsuit against the DOC for wrongful termination. I was represented by an attorney who I had worked with from the inside on prisoners rights. After two years, the Court found that I had a substantial claim and we would be going to trial. It did not take long for the Attorney General representing the State to contact my lawyer and propose a settlement. They did not want to go to trial. Rather than take money, I opted for them to "max" my sentence out almost 4 years early. I was promptly put on a bus back to Vermont where I was immediately released.

Not long thereafter I moved to New York City. I applied to hundreds of jobs and attended what seemed like hundreds of interviews as a Paralegal. Then my time came. I was offered a position as an Appellate Paralegal handling appeals in every Court in New York, and almost every US District Court across the country. I even handled cases before the United States Supreme Court.

My history since then has been long and full of learning opportunities and the ability to help others. Far too many to list. I assisted in Search and Rescue during Hurricane Katrina. I assisted in Search and Rescue at the Joplin Missouri tornado. I was instrumental during the first minutes of the death of Michael Brown, Jr. to live-stream the events to the world...launching me into a new career as an Investigative Journalist covering Social Justice, specifically police misconduct. Months later I was nearly beaten to death and suffered substantial injuries, a traumatic brain injury, lost vision in my left eye, memory issues, and more that I will deal with the rest of my life. Thus putting this great new career I was doing so well at to be put on hold.

After returning to Vermont and having a previous case cause a probation violation, I ended up back in the system, only to realize not only did it not get any better, it was perfunctorily worse. To the extent that I could not sit back and watch it continue any longer without getting back involved. Knowing these issues are not just in Vermont, I founded this organization to begin starting chapters across the country. Of course there is much more not in this bio, but these are the basics of who I am, why I am here and what my purpose is.

There is a great deal that I have not inserted into this bio as I felt it either was inconsequential to our movement or were items contested that I will no longer engage in contesting, I am me, If you know me, you know that I am genuine, caring, loving and will put all aside to help others, even at my own expense.

I hope you join me in fighting the injustices in both our law enforcement, criminal justice and corrections systems throughout the country.

About Tim: Tim served 5 years inside the Vermont Correctional system. During his term of incarceration, Tim was active in assisting in the process of the formation of the Career and Transition Resource Centers at the Community High school of Vermont. A project that Mr. Burgess was hand pick for by CHSVT staff. In his capacity as assistant to the process, Mr. Burgess worked closely with former Department of Corrections Commissioner John Gorczyk, and CHSVT founder Robert Lucenti.

Tim was active in assisting inmates with honing re-entry skills such as resume writing, job seeking, finding housing, and how to answer the tough questions, during the interview process for a job. The program that Tim was involved in was recognized by the National Institute on Corrections and the State of Vermont.

Tim was transferred to the Lee Adjustment Center, which is owned and operated by Corrections Corporation of America in 2006 and served 2 years of his time in the "for profit prison", performing the duties of supervisor of the libraries. In 2008 Tim was shipped back to Vermont to complete programming, which was successfully completed in June 2009.

Upon release from the Correctional facility to Supervised Furlough, Tim immediately began the process of advocating to end the use of for Profit Prisons. That work has led to testifying at the Capital, becoming an active member in the Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform, and a leader in National Association for Sex Offender Laws. While under supervision Tim has advocated for multiple causes, worked on political campaigns, has been active in party politics and is currently the town chair of a political party in his town.

Tim is scheduled to be released from Parole in 2017 and lives in Northern Vermont, where he continues to advocate for inmates, their families, those under supervision, and those who've had contact with the criminal justice system.

Profiles coming soon:

• Steven Bobo, State Director for North Carolina
• Stephan McIntyre, Executive Assistant to the National Chairman

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