Graduating this May with a degree in Human Services Administration, Sara continues building a life grounded in purpose. She finds peace in nature and with her cat Oliver. Her mantra: “Your past is a chapter, not your whole story.”
Today, Sara is Director of Peer Services at PREPARE, supporting people in early reentry, helping them navigate uncertainty and access resources. She also mentors volunteers, growing peer-led programs rooted in dignity, accountability, and lived experience.
Sara Cintroni was 17 when she was given two life sentences. After nearly 30 years, she came home in June 2022. Thanks to Maryland’s Juvenile Restoration Act, ready to rebuild, reconnect with family, and invest in her community.
While proud of his personal progress and professional success, he remains committed to growth, peace, and accountability. “I’m still evolving,” he says. “The courage to think beyond the box is how we truly set ourselves free”.
He's used his lived wisdom to support others through reentry during his four years working at the Louisiana Parole Project.
His creative and entrepreneurial spirit led to the founding of Jarrow Media Productions, where he has produced content for major brands, including the NBA and Essence.
While he faced the same challenges many formerly incarcerated individuals encounter, like stable employment and family reintegration, he was determined to build a life rooted in purpose and help others do the same.
Lloyd Jarrow was just 17 when he was sentenced to juvenile life without the possibility of parole. After spending 25 years behind bars, he came home with the intention of rebuilding his life.
Thank you to both chambers of the Maryland legislature and to all of our community members who reached out to elected officials regarding this important legislation!
Now heading to Governor Moore’s desk, this legislation brings Maryland in line with the majority of states that have stated loud and clear that no child is irredeemable and unworthy of a second chance.
This legislation builds on our JLWOP abolition win in 2021, ensuring that all children sentenced to other extreme sentences, going forward, will have meaningful opportunities for review.
Good news! Today, thanks to the extraordinary effort of our bill sponsors, team members, partner organizations, and other directly impacted community members, Maryland passed SB162!
The conversation focuses on moving forward, exploring tangible solutions and actionable steps to reform the youth justice system and ensure that every young person has the opportunity to realize their full potential. Watch the full roundtable here: youtu.be/hfMopczQTe4?...
In the finale of Before They Could Dream, host Abd’Allah Lateef welcomes Donnell, Catherine, Eddie, April and James all back for an in-person roundtable discussion. Together, they reflect on the powerful stories shared throughout the series and synthesize the key insights.
Is "doing sorry" harder than "doing time"?
Join a conversation with luminaries Danielle Sered from @commonjustice.bsky.social & CFSY's Ghani Songster about why restorative justice isn't "soft on crime" but a rigorous path to real accountability.
Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/doing-sorr...
Join us from wherever you are to help us carry Maryland's SB 162 / HB 759 across the finish line: tinyurl.com/marylandcfsy
Read the full brief here: cfsy.org/wp-content/u...
The brief leverages the stories of members of the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network (ICAN) as “living examples of growth and rehabilitation, illustrating children’s unique capacity for change” and underscores the importance of a constitutionally compliant review process.
In CFSY’s amicus brief, we stand with those in Oklahoma who committed offenses as children but have not been given a meaningful chance to demonstrate growth and maturity during the parole process.
This episode explores parental loss and the lasting ripple effects of harm, and how it extended to the family and friends who supported James throughout his journey. Listen wherever you get your podcasts: www.buzzsprout.com/2598463/follow
NOW LIVE: In Episode 6 of “Before They Could Dream,” we hear from ICAN member James Carpenter, who had a childhood dream of becoming a scientist but was forced to confront the consequences of harmful policies and a broken criminal justice system that reshaped his life.
ACTION ALERT: Great news! Maryland SB162 has passed the Senate unanimously, 45-0, and is now headed to the House. Take action here today! representjustice.quorum.us/campaign/157...
In episode 4 of Before They Could Dream, CFYS’s Eddie Ellis takes us back to his childhood in D.C., during the height of the “superpredator myth” era. His story reveals the devastating impact of gun violence on communities of color and the isolation of youth placed in solitary confinement.
Please listen, share, and subscribe to help us amplify the conversation. “Before They Could Dream” is available now, wherever you get your podcasts: www.buzzsprout.com/2598463/follow
Episode 3 centers on the story of Catherine Jones and examines the profound impact of childhood abuse in addition to sharing data and insights into the unfair realities that young girls face in America’s criminal justice system.
Episode 2 features Donnell Drinks and explores the far-reaching impact of parental addiction, disproportionate policing within communities of color, and the trauma of being sentenced to the death penalty as a child.
NOW LIVE: the first three episodes of Before They Could Dream! In Episode 1, we hear from the host, Abd’Allah Lateef, about his childhood in Philadelphia as a shy, athletic boy and the circumstances that led him to being sentenced to life without parole.
Karen Awana's commentary for @CivilBeat illustrates why SB 2325 is vital to ensure the state’s laws embody the principle that children can grow and change.
As we urge the Hawai’i Senate to advance SB 2325 next week, read here and share: www.civilbeat.org/2026/03/lets...
We are proud to stand alongside them as they fight for a system that prioritizes healing, accountability, and safety. #SurvivorsSpeak2026
