From Prison to Prosperity: My Brother's Keeper 617 Helps Break the Cycle of Recidivism

Here in Massachusetts, almost a third of people who find themselves in prison for a crime eventually re-offend and find themselves back behind bars. Experts say a major contributing factor is a lack of support for people leaving prison, something that My Brother's Keeper 617 is working to change in the city of Boston. Mario Rodrigues and Satero DaVeiga are part of a team that's launched a new program to help recently released inmates develop critical skills to join the trades and give them the resources they need to start a new phase of their life. Rodrigues and DaVeiga join Nichole this week to talk about the group's history, their new program, and the other ways they help the community.

Episode Transcript

(00:07):
From WBZ News Radio in Boston.This is New England Weekend. Each week
we come together and talk about allthe topics important to you and the place
where you live. It's so goodto be with you on this holiday weekend.
I'm Nicole Davis. The most recentstate data I could find shows that
almost a third of people who spendtime in prison here in Massachusetts and get
released eventually reoffend and find themselves rightback behind bars. Experts say that often

(00:32):
happens because when people leave prison,they don't have support on the outside to
make sure they're able to build ahealthier and more productive life. I recently
learned about a very special re entryprogram in Boston. It is young,
it is building right now, butwhat they're doing is bringing members of the
community together to uplift young men leavingprison, giving them that support they need

(00:53):
to make sure they never go back. It's called My Brother's Keeper six one
seven. That is the group behindthis program. Mario Ruddriguez, Satiro de
Vega joining us now, gentlemen,it is a pleasure to have you here.
Mario. Let's start with you,and I would really love to have
a bit of a backstory for peoplewho might not be familiar, tell us
a bit about your group and howyou all came to do this work.

(01:14):
We started doing gang intervention first tokind of stem some of the some of
the issues, but we knew thatevery time we did that it would be
fine, and then the tensions wouldrise up again. So one of our
closest friends who actually it was hisidea to start working with the kids.
Fame is Jose Rodriguez, no relation. He brought us all together and said,

(01:44):
you know, if we start takingthe kids out on trips during the
summertime, during the summertime and justlet them be kids, and then we
can kind of get into the kids'heads and kind of talk to them into
conflict resolution skills, start talking tothem about the about issues that they have

(02:06):
in you know, like we usedthe road trips and to just have them
trust us and open up to us. But we started with all the kids
in our neighborhood, which is theCap Birdie and neighborhood, and then we
were all putting our money in together. There's a there's another member any name
with Peter, so six of ustotal, we would just pile all of
our money in together. The kidsout then when the community found out what

(02:30):
we were doing, they started pitchingin and making lunches for us and hoping
us with gas money. And thenit just trinkled on and ten years later
almost I mean, this is abig deal. You've really changed a lot
of lives. We have we haveon record because we were just about the

(02:51):
work that we were very we werevery poor at record keeping. But once
we started keeping records. We haveover three hundred kids that we've helped well,
I mean three hundred kids. Andyou think about your you're impacting them
at that stage in their life wherethey're just learning who they are, like
what they want in life, andespecially you know, not always coming from

(03:14):
the easiest of circumstances. You allbeing mentors and kind of stepping in there
and saying, look, you canbe whatever you want to be, you
can have better. There's nothing holdingyou back. Satiro, tell me,
like about some of the programs thatyou do now and how you intervene with
these kids. So we have,We've done entrepreneurial class and teach you about

(03:35):
open up the business and where ittakes over the business. We really don't
try to make them become entrepreneurs it'sjust giving them, you know, the
extra tools they you know, theycan make a better decision for themselves.
But those are one of the thingsthat we do. But also we have
where the prison program came out ofwith a sparing program with a friend laws

(04:00):
is there, she who was alsopreviously he was he was locked up and
he came out and he made acareer for himself with the with the local
union, carpet union, and he'sthe one that UH brought the idea of
starting the carpentry program. We getany kid eighteen plus. The only community

(04:24):
member I think the oldest one thatwe had him there was like forty.
On the latest one, lemarg sellingbecause you know, carpenter it's a hard
career and you know not it's notfor everybody, So we try to open
it up to the whole community.And Gas you brought that up, I
did to us. So we justhad another graduation of our second class.

(04:50):
In the next year, we're goingto be our third class. Out of
that, they started the prison program, which is the same program for inmates
that's on pre release, and that'show we got into a partnership with the
Devil and County Jail and one ofthe programs the Union and we kind of

(05:16):
created that program. Let's kind ofbuild off of what Satira was talking about.
Tell me about what happens with thesethree people. You've been working with
these young people, they leave prison, you step in. What's the process
like it was presented as a fullpackage. So the inmates their pre release,

(05:38):
they're being taken from the county jailto the Union Hall where they trained,
and then they brought back. Butthese guys are on their way out
the door. They probably only havelike a month or two. Let what
we do is that we keep wekeep in touch with them. We find
out is how the program going,what's their weaknesses, what they'll need more

(05:59):
help with, and then when theyget out, will help them where re
entry work. It could be somethingfrom It could be getting their IDs back,
it could be helping them get theirtheir license, housing, showing them
steps, some family related some ofthem have children. They might need just

(06:20):
Christmas toys, they might just needhelp with food. But we're a complete
wrap around service where we don't wantthem to re offend because that's not gonna
help anyone. It's not gonna it'snot beneficial for them. Their families or
the community, you know, andwe we tell them like some of us

(06:42):
come from that background where we knowit's very difficult to just when things again
hard, you want to resort tothe easiest way of getting financially stable,
but long term, we know thatnever works. So we just keep them
every time, even if they needif they might need mental health counseling.
We provide everything, and we workclosely with the Luis B. Brown Piece

(07:05):
Institute, which they have a reentry team, so we kind of we
try to branch all of it together, yeah, and bring as much resources
together. But this is going tobe our first graduation, so they're like
a pilot for us. And it'sreally a holistic approach, Satiro, if
you think about it, because youhave to work with these people inside and

(07:27):
out. Because if you don't getto the root of the hurting right,
you don't get to the root ofthe issue what caused them to offend in
the first place, you can't reallyhelp them, right. So that's why
holistic approaches like this really matter.Yeah, and that's why we want to
provide on those surveys. We know, especially you have any manual income for
a while coming now you got family, especially now's the holidays and just got

(07:53):
to release yesterday, I believe.So we want to give them what they
need so they don't have after resortand anything else, you know, and
whatever they need. We were tryingto find the resource whatever. Well,
then tell me about a little bitabout how the Carpenter's Union has been helping
Mario. You were just mentioning thatthey go through this pre release program with

(08:15):
them, and tell us a bitmore about that and how you got involved
with the Carpenter's Union in the firstplace. Tracy ranking. Tracy is the
one who made the connection with theSheriff's department to help us get this pilot
program in there, and so definitelywanted to give a shout out and tell
her how much we appreciate all hersupport in time that she gets us our

(08:41):
friend day show Santo's He was formerlyincarcerated. He got out, he had
his son. He didn't want tolook, he didn't want to go backwards.
He joined, He joined the union, became a carpenter, started at
a very low level, worked hisway up to where he became an instructor.
He has a good relationship with thedirector. Her name is Zivin,

(09:05):
and they should wanted to create wantedto create something, a program uh to
give back and help kids get trained. And you know, we we're surrounded
by all of the union hall,the plumbers Union, the electrical Union,
the conveners Union, the elevators union. We're surrounded in our neighborhood by these
unions. But growing up, wedidn't even know that what they were,

(09:30):
that they were there, we didn't, We didn't know. So when they
should talk to his director Zvin,they brought on Eric and they asked us
if we would want to create something. We said definitely would, So we
started a program where we just trainedkids straight out of high school that didn't
want to go to college or kidsthat were you know, early twenties that

(09:52):
were just trying to find find theirway. Our first batch of kids,
like we had over one hundred andfifty fifty applicants, but we could only
take eleven kids. So it wasvery hard because we don't want to shut
the door on everyone, but there'snot much that we can do. So

(10:15):
we took the eleven, put themin the program, and out of the
eleven, nine of them was employed. And the union they've been there for
us, not just for that,but just for any other needs that we
might Like we were going to builda food pantry for free food in the

(10:37):
community to another organization. They wereon board with volunteering time and men and
women to build, and we weregoing to use the kids in the program
as the first ones, like okay, let's get back to the community.
And then we wanted to you know, just anyone like an elderly, a
vet that might need help, youknow with something I said, but like
maybe some amp, handicap, accessiblerailings. Anything we wanted to we wanted

(11:05):
to help. And then that's that'show our relationship developed. Hmm. I
can't say anything bad about them,and if I can just add, I
know that some people that's in theunion might feel like this is not right.

(11:26):
We're helping in maids. They don'twant that. I saw something before
that happen, and it's like,we're not we're not trying to take anyone's
job, and we're not trying tohave these guys take anyone's job, you
know. And it's definitely not ahandout because these guys are being trained in
a pre apprentice program. Then theyhave to get in the union and still

(11:50):
be apprentice. It's just that ourprogram gives them that skill, so they're
not uncomfortable, you know, andthat they have some knowledge. I mean,
the trades are they need more peoplein the trades by the day.
I mean, it's not like there'sa lack of work out there. Especially
we have a housing shortage in Boston, right we need to build more homes.
There's there's always going to be workfor people in the trades. I

(12:11):
feel watching these kids go through thisprogram, Like, personally, how do
you feel watching them thrive and growand realize that there is a different way
that they don't have to resort tothe life they used to live. It's
a It's an amazing feeling. Mbkaalso been great to me because you know,

(12:33):
it's allowed me to grow on aperson, you know, especially seeing
the kids, you know, justputting a smile on their face. You
know, it's something that you can'tput a price on, you know.
So I feel like they give alot to myself as you know, as
much as we give to now andthey you know, and how have you

(12:54):
grown as a person by helping mentorthese kids? Just me to get my
life better, you know, getmy stuff in order for more I could
get myself in order, the moreI'll be able to help. So it's
you know, motivational to me sometimes, you know, because you know,
we all go through stuff, youknow, So it's it's helped me a

(13:20):
lot mentally, you know. Soit's helped me to push forward. And
what about you, Mario, Imean same question for you. You clearly
have been invested in this in alongfor a long time, like the rest
of all three of you. Imean, what does this mean to you?
For me, it's the opportunity.I'm much older than them. I
don't look it, but I wouldnot have known for what For what it's

(13:41):
worth, you all look very youngthat I'm much older than them, and
I came from a different background whereI didn't I didn't have that type of
guidance and didn't know about these resourceshere. So now that I know and
I'm able to give it to them, I feel like the kids don't.

(14:07):
They don't have any excuse of sayingI didn't know or no one told,
no one told me. I wantedto take that away from them. I
wanted to give them as much resourcesand information to help them succeed as possible.
And seeing some of them go onto college, seeing some of them

(14:28):
going on to being homeowners, businessowners, business owners, not joining any
games because they were on that onthat brink, you know, and and
some of them giving back now alsothat's been that's been the greatest reward.

(14:50):
And collectively you're all just doing critical, incredible work in your community. And
I'm grateful that you feel like it'smade a difference in your personal lives as
well. But I'm sure your communityis so much better for it. But
of course you need help to keepthat going. I've talked with a lot
of nonprofits on this show, andI know that you all need support to

(15:11):
keep going. So what is thebest way that If somebody is listening and
they're hearing and they say, ohmy gosh, I really love what these
people are doing, how can Ihelp? Well, how can they help?
Visit our website www dot n bK six from seven dollars with the
the information and stuff that we gotcoming on. That's in the next couple,

(15:31):
Like we're getting ready for a Christmastoy drive on Friday, so out
of bus were decorated it with lightsand you know, seeing that and slaying
the front and then we're going tofigure it up with toys and go around
the neighborhood and pass out toys,and we've been doing it. This is
our fourth year. We started thereduring COVID where a lot of people couldn't
come out at the house, sowe went door to door bringing toys to

(15:54):
kids. And it's definitely one ofmy favorite events throughout the years. The
feeling and you know that we getfrom it, and the smiles and all
the kids that we get to seein the neighborhood and just putting a smile
on their faces definitely one of thebest feelings I get throughout the year.
So definitely visit our website and youcan see how to donate, but anything

(16:19):
that we got coming. We havea lot of events throughout the year,
stuff like that, so you getto see everything on them and then contact
us. If it's not all aboutmoney, sometimes volunteers resources. We look
for people that's you know, knowledgea little different areas, you know,

(16:42):
grants if they want to donate theirtime, you've got knowledge any grants that
we could fill out and stuff likethat, So it goes a lot other
than money. But you can findall the information on there and for years
ago. Yeah, we appreciate allthe help that we can give. We've

(17:03):
got a lot of help with thisChristmas toy drive from the community and from
Richard mom and dad, whoever don'twhoever doesn't know Richard needs the little boy
who lost his life during the bomband his family has a foundation, and
his mother and father has really goneabove and beyond and throughout the year they

(17:29):
said this year we appreciate them,and we can say all all the foundations,
all the community members that donate tous, you know, we appreciate
it. On our website, wedo we do sell like to trade to
try to raise money. We dosell shirts, sprest suits, hats.
We are horrible salesman, but butso then what we we we have a

(17:52):
link to on aline in printing.So what they do is they buy it,
gets it, gets jobs printed ship. We don't have to do anything
horrible salesman. We bought to tryto sew We bought like, uh five

(18:15):
hundred shirts. We were going totry to sell shirts to raise the money
and giving them out. We gaveit all. Waiting all we'll ask for
money when they say they don't haveit, so we just gave it you're
not gonna say no, right,I mean, so it gets the word
out there. But okay, wellI also am a horrible salesperson. But
yes, please go on the website, help these great men out. Grab

(18:36):
yourself and my brother's keeper T shirt, whatever you want, sweatsuit, you
know it's Christmas, by yourself,something nice. So Mario, Satiro and
yes, John you're here too.Thank you so much for your time,
all of you gentlemen, in allthe great work you do. Have a
safe and healthy weekend. Merry Christmasif you celebrate, and please join me
again next week for another edition ofthe show. I'm Nicole Davis from WBZ

(18:57):
News Radio on iHeartRadio.