Our Team
The Prisoners' Brain Trust (PBT) embodies people directly impacted by the prison industrial complex's many harms. Each member brings their full carceral and personal experiences into our work to dissect how policies impact and intersect our lives and communities.
We believe those most harmed by the system must be the ones to lead its transformation.
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Bryan focuses on PBT’s political artivism, branding and imaging, highlighting artwork to inspire community education and civic engagement.
Bryan is a published essayist, poet, and book reviewer. Through his leadership he is able to organize events by bringing poets and artists together into a non-judgmental environment. Bryan's vision is to have the public acknowledge the talents, and not the flaws of himself and his peers. With his ability to push past his limits, and his supportive attitude towards others’ growth he is able to not only uplift himself but also uplift those around him. Though he is serving a 15 years to life sentence for Felony Murder, due to his involvement in a robbery, he does not allow his prior bad decisions to limit his ability to make better decisions today.
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Santos focuses on Community Education and Reentry, and is editor-in-chief of The Bulb.
He is an incarcerated individual who is nearing the end of a 22 years-life prison sentence. He has dedicated his time to education, earning an Associate's Degree in the Arts, and is currently working on his senior project to earn a Bachelor's Degree from Bard college. Rather than waiting for his release to perform his civic duties, Mr. Lopez is an active member today, writing conversational pieces that afford readers different perspectives into the effects of policies, community, and mass incarceration. He is an active member of PBT, a creative writing instructor, and tutor, all made possible through his role as a husband, son, brother, friend, and community member.
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Jared is a contributing editor for the Bulb.
He is a formerly incarcerated person living in the Hudson Valley. He continues to write, learn, and advocate for a more humane world without prisons. He is a contributing editor for the Bulb.
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Eric focuses on Education and De-carceral Policy, creating and advocating for policies that prioritize the return and rehabilitation of community members.
Eric is currently earning a master’s degree in Public Humanities, and his focus is on the intersection of technology and the public. A graduate of Bard College's Prison Initiative, with a bachelor’s in Social Studies, he is an avid amateur mathematician and software engineer, and serves as a BPI math and writing fellow, tutoring the student community. He currently resides in New York State.
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Aladdin focuses on Migrant Policy.
He is a proud and loving husband and father. Born and raised in Newburgh and child of migrant parents, he knows first hand what it feels to struggle. Although he came into the prison system at a young age, he is working on walking out with a Master’s degree, and has successfully raised and trained two Explosive Detection Canines for law enforcement, contributing to saving countless lives.
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Chris focuses on Youth Development & Alternatives to Incarceration, emphasizing the importance of diversion from the criminal justice system whenever possible.
Currently, Chris is a graduate student in Bard Prison Initiative’s Public Humanities Program, and BPI’s assistant debate coach. He was sentenced to 22 years at the age of seventeen. Once released, he plans on furthering his education and working closely with the government agencies, NGOs and private companies to rethink the way they do business.
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Taqiy Walton is a self taught visual artist, writer, and social justice activist. He is steadfast in his commitment to truth telling and community building. He believes that grassroots alliances are the bedrock to social change and transformation. Taqiy has a B.A. degree in social studies from Bard College, and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in the Public Humanities. His motto is: “We don’t need a perfect world, only a just one.”
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Provard is a founding member of PBT and focuses on the intersections of Environmental Sustainability with prisons.
He is dedicated to the values of integrity, inclusivity, and equitable access to resources and sees human sustainability as the first step in creating a more sustainable environment. He is an ally and former Op-ed writer for Queers for Justice, holds a BA form Bard College, is a certified Explosives Detection Canine trainer and a lifelong martial artist who hopes to one day master Ninjutsu.
Our Board works to bring together our community and intersecting work.
Paris E. Whitfield
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Eric Paris Whitfield is a Narrative Lab essayist/journalist, Study and Struggle book reviewer, and 2023 graduate from Bard College. His senior thesis was entitled Feminist Theory, NYC Black LGBTQ+ Youth and the Complexities of Intersectionality: Finding Autonomy amid Heteronormalcy and Racism. Currently, he is working on obtaining a Master’s Degree in Public Humanities at Bard College.
Alisha Kohn
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A formerly incarcerated trans woman, Alisha spent ten years in a men’s prison and draws on that experience to guide advocacy rooted in justice, dignity, and liberation. She co-leads campaigns such as the Faces of the Felony Murder Law, the annual Attica Community Remembrance Day, and efforts to restore voting rights and parole fairness. Alisha began her organizing through Queers for Justice at the Newburgh LGBTQ+ Center and continues to build power alongside directly impacted people inside and outside the walls. She works closely with inside leaders, student interns, and community partners to amplify incarcerated voices and shift policy.
Her work centers the belief that those most harmed by the system must be the ones to lead its transformation.
Emmanuella Pierre
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Emmanuella Pierre completed her Bachelor of Science in Business Management in 2001. She is currently working at a not-for-profit, self-regulatory organization. She began advocating for criminal justice reform when her late husband Emmanuel Pierre was sentenced to 25 years to life for a crime he did not commit. She has worked with numerous advocacy groups such as RAPP, CCA, Parole Prep and is an active member in AFJ. She is currently sitting as a board member for PBT, an organization that her late husband helped to establish. She admires the fact that PBT has the possibility to change lives if the bills they work for are passed. She also hopes to establish a bill that can change the policies of medical care for all incarcerated individuals.
Her belief is no one should have to die behind the wall.
Nathaly Jimenez
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As a dedicated member of the prisoners brain trust and the organization’s social media manager, she brings both professional commitment and personal passion to our advocacy work. Her journey into criminal justice reform began with her love one, who is also a member of PBT. Her love ones experience opened her eyes to the deep injustices within the system, sparking a relentless drive into learning, advocating, and amplifying the voices of those directly impacted. She devoted using her voice and platform to fight for change—not just for her husband, but for all families affected by mass incarceration.