The Inside-Out training coaches are a shining example of the power of The Inside-Out Program. Their dedication, passion, and drive has helped to shape The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program and Alternative Dialogue and Exchange Initiatives. These folks, hailing from many parts of the US, as well as western Canada and the UK, are all alumni of Inside-Out courses. They offer priceless insight as previous inside students, and continue to provide guidance to those in the Inside-Out Network through their engagement with our training institutes, workshops, and various speaking engagements.
This is only a partial list of our coaches so far. More bios and photos to come.
Abdul Wahid Muhsin
Abdul has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since 2002. He is active in the organization as a coach, citing a desire to continue the transformative work of The Center and “ to be a voice and advocate for those still inside who don’t have a voice.” Founder of No Excuses Zone (NEZ), Abdul offers accountability coaching and lectures designed to help youth and young adults deal with challenges in life via Mindset Modification. He is also a certified AI Consultant, offering basic training on the ethical and responsible use of AI in addition to creating tools to help individuals and businesses adopt new technology. In his free time, Abdul enjoys woodworking and builds custom vehicles.
Benard Mckinley
Benard has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since the spring of 2018. Benard lives in his hometown of Chicago where he remains involved as a coach and was a member of the DePaul / Stateville Think Tank. Benard reflected that his journey with the Inside-Out program exposed him to meaningful dialogue about the importance of civic education and “sparked [his] determination to pursue [his] higher education even further.” He is currently in law school at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law with the goal to become an attorney, practicing civil, criminal, and family law. Benard shares that, “becoming an Inside-Out coach has been an empowering experience,” that has allowed him to, “contribute to positive change within the prison system through higher education.”
Brandon Wildman
Brandon has been involved with the Inside-Out program since 2022. He is originally from Ajax, Ontario, Canada and now lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Brandon currently works at an overdose prevention facility and as a peer support specialist at a temporary housing site. He is also currently in school for mental health and addictions. Brandon indicated that filling his free time by giving back to his community is a big part of his recovery. He continues his involvement with Inside-Out in an effort to “give back to the organization that helped shape [his] future.” He is a proud cat dad.
“Inside-Out was my first experience with higher education, so it taught me discipline and the importance of education. I developed a hunger for learning and the desire to help others with the information which I acquired through the class curriculum. Inside-Out gave me a voice in a place where men and women don’t have a voice—the prison system.”
– Julio Figueroa-Martinez
Cassidy Cadeaux
Cassidy has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since 2023. She currently works as the Clinical Operations Manager in a recovery focused therapeutic setting and advocates within her community for effective diversionary and reentry programming. Cassidy hails from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, which she still calls home today. She maintains her involvement with The Inside-Out Program by acting as a training coach, and shared that Inside-Out helped her to once again find her voice and “recognize [her] value in a way [she] never thought possible.” Cassidy is passionate about education and empowerment and appreciates that the program allows her the opportunity to remain connected with people who have similar passions. Cassidy spends her free time with her two cats, coaching the local cheerleading team, or seeking adventure in the form of geocaching. She is also a trained magician, former beauty pageant contestant, and was previously an elementary educator.
Charles Hill
Charles has been involved with the Inside-Out program since 2021. Originally from Aurora, IL, he now resides in Naperville, IL, where he is continuing to pursue his education and passion for lifelong learning. Charles shared that he believes “that people are capable of change when they are given the opportunity to learn, reflect, and be seen for their potential.” This belief has in part inspired his involvement as an Inside-Out coach. When he is not working or in school, Charles enjoys writing and performing spoken word poetry. He sees storytelling as a powerful way to build understanding and connection. He strives to cultivate spaces that encourage others to “reflect, share their experiences, and learn from one another.”
“Inside-Out transformed the way I see myself and the role I can play in the world. It gave me an opportunity to be seen, not for the worst decision I made as a teenager, but for the person I was becoming. Through meaningful dialogue, education, and relationships, I gained the confidence to recognize that my voice has value and that my lived experience can educate, inspire, and create understanding.
“The program connected me with mentors and opportunities that allowed me to continue growing as a student, poet, and facilitator. More importantly, it reinforced my belief that people are capable of change when they are given the opportunity to learn, reflect, and be seen for their potential. Inside-Out didn’t erase my past—it helped me understand that my past could become a source of purpose rather than a barrier to my future.
“I believe in the power of storytelling to build understanding and connection, and I enjoy creating spaces where people feel encouraged to reflect, share their experiences, and learn from one another. I am passionate about lifelong learning and strive to use my experiences to inspire hope, resilience, and positive change in the communities I serve.”
– Charles HIll
Daniel Bullman
Daniel has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since 2020. In addition to his work as a coach for Inside-Out, Daniel is currently pursuing his PhD at the University of Louisville. His research utilizes community-based participation and focuses on improving outcomes and reentry approaches for individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. One of the many reasons Daniel decided to remain involved as a coach is his desire “to contribute to a model of education that [he] believes can change lives, not only for students inside, but for everyone involved.” Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Daniel now calls Indianapolis, Indiana home, where he enjoys spending time with his family, managing their small urban homestead.
Jamal Bakr
Jamal has been involved with the Inside-Out program since 2014. He grew up in Chicago, IL and now resides in the South Suburbs of Chicago. He is currently working as the director of the Violence Prevention Program at the Firehouse Community Arts Center on the west side of Chicago, in addition to his involvement as a coach for Inside-Out. Jamal said that Inside-Out allowed him to experience “the transformative healing power of a collaborative learning environment…” and he tries, “to recreate that to some extent with the young people [he works] with.” In his free time, Jamal enjoys writing and is a fan of the Chicago Cubs.
“Having experienced the transformative healing power of a collaborative learning environment, I try to recreate that to some extent with the young people I work with.”
– Jamal Bakr
Jemal Tipton
Jemal has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since taking a course in 2009. He is an active agent of positive change, and sees his continued involvement as a coach for The Inside-Out Program as an extension of that work. Jemal enjoys creating memorable moments with his family and volunteering in his community as often as he can. He originally hails from Detroit, but now calls Redford Township, Michigan his home. Whether he is walking, running, or just sitting, Jemal is happiest in the rain. He hopes to return to school in the near future and continue to expand his education.
Joe Schwartz
Joe has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since 2015. In addition to being a coach, he is a Development and Program Coordinator, and is also a member of the Board of Directors. He has shared that Inside-Out offered him a platform to find his voice at a time when he had been stripped of his identity. Joe currently volunteers with the U.S. Attorney’s Reentry Simulation Program and has previously facilitated groups with the Project HOPE Reentry Program. Joe hails from the City of Brotherly Love, and still calls Philadelphia home to this day. He is an avid reader, and admits that his book collection has grown larger than he could ever manage to read. He has a deep appreciation for the arts, formerly working as a pastry chef. He still centers the culinary arts in his creative endeavors.
Julio Figueroa-Martinez
Julio has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since 2012, including many years in the Michigan Theory Group (their think tank). He originally hails from Puerto Rico, but now lives in Clinton Township, Michigan. In addition to his role as a coach, he currently works in electroplating and volunteers with returning citizens in his community. Julio shared that in addition to fostering his passion for learning, becoming an Inside-Out coach has helped him to come out of his shell and he hopes to give back to others in this role. In his free time, Julio loves to spend time with his family, biking, kayaking, painting, and riding his motorcycle. Julio is also a dog trainer and has previously trained service dogs for visually impaired individuals.
Kenneth Butler
Kenneth has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since 2018. He grew up in Los Angeles, CA and now resides in Riverside, CA. He is currently serving as the Program Assistant for The Justice Education Center at Pitzer College, which supports initiatives to expand higher education access for justice-impacted students. He is also currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Kenneth also volunteers with The Prison Education Project and The Reintegration Academy, programs that “foster personal growth, academic opportunity, and successful reentry for individuals returning to their communities.” Kenneth decided to become a coach to “honor what the program poured into me and to help create the same transformative experience for others.”
“Inside-Out has shaped my life in ways I never could have imagined. Before I found the program, I didn’t have a clear sense of direction or possibility. Inside-Out opened a door to a world I might never have encountered on my own—a world of ideas, community, and genuine human connection. It challenged me, expanded me, and helped me see myself as someone capable of contributing meaningfully to others. Looking back, I honestly don’t know where I would be without it.”
“That impact is exactly why I chose to become a coach. Inside-Out gave me so much—confidence, purpose, and a sense of belonging—and I felt a responsibility to give something back. Coaching became a way to honor what the program poured into me and to help create the same transformative experience for others. It’s my way of keeping the circle going, of making sure that the opportunities I received continue to reach the next person who needs them.”
– Kenneth Butler
Kyle Daniel-Bey
Kyle has been involved with Inside-Out since 2008, and was a member of the Michigan Theory Group for several years. He is originally from Detroit, MI, where he still lives today. Kyle is currently an ironworker by trade and he enjoys spending his free time being creative. He is an artist and a poet, as well as being a proud father and grandfather. Kyle remains involved as a coach to give back to others, and shared that he believes that “Inside-Out changed the trajectory of [his] whole life.”
Ladji Ruffin
Ladji has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since 2022. He approaches his coaching role with the “hope to inspire others, support their growth, and remind them that their circumstances do not define their potential.” He shared that Inside-Out’s pedagogical approach played a significant role in rebuilding his academic confidence after having been out of school for some time. Ladji originally comes from Maywood, Illinois, but is currently living in Atlanta Georgia. He is currently in pursuit of two separate Master’s degrees, one in Theology at Mercer University in Georgia, and the other in Social Justice at Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Ladji enjoys international travel as it provides an opportunity for him to learn about different cultures.
“The Inside-Out program helped change my future. It gave me the opportunity to go back to school and showed me that it is never too late to make the changes I needed to in order to have the life I have always wanted.”
– Brandon WIldman
Miranda Gilleo
Miranda has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since 2021. She is active not only as a coach, but she also now works full time for The Inside-Out Center as the Director of Operations, supporting training logistics, data, and administrative coordination. Miranda graduated summa cum laude with her degree in Criminal Justice in the Spring of 2026, and has been awarded a full-tuition scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree in Social Justice beginning this Fall. Miranda has also applied her lived experiences through her previous work with a nonprofit that provides Recovery Support Services. She is also a Research Fellow with the Belonging Forum, studying the transformative impact Inside-Out has on the trajectory of people’s lives. Miranda has always called Bucks County, Pennsylvania home, and is an avid Eagles fan. “Go Birds!”
Natasha Miller
Natasha has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since 2024. Natasha shared that, “being a coach allows [her] to turn [her] past into something purposeful by helping others grow, connect, and see beyond differences.” She currently works as a Direct Care Worker and is pursuing a continuing education program through Lincoln University. She volunteers twice a month with a group that provides food to the unhoused members of her community. Natasha hails from New York, but she now calls Philadelphia her home. Above all else, she “values growth, connection, and expression,” and engages with those values in her free time through poetry, music, and remaining active. She hopes to one day become a girls’ basketball coach or start her own basketball camp to offer positive support to young people on and off the court.
Tore Price
Tore has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since 2009. He is not only a coach, but also acts as the Outreach and Special Programs Coordinator for The Inside-Out Center. Tore hails from Saginaw, Michigan, and now calls Detroit his home. There, he also acts as the Program Coordinator for Reimagining Safety – an abolition organization. Tore credits The Inside-Out Program with helping him become the advocate he is today. He shared that being a training coach has helped him become a better facilitator and “allows [him] to be around good people who want to continue to move The Inside-Out Program forward.”
Trevor Fraser
Trevor has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since 2020 and continues today as a coach. He shared that his experiences with the program have been “uplifting, and instill hope and faith” for change within justice systems around the world, as well as public perception of those impacted. Trevor is from Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. He now lives in Ladysmith, British Columbia where he works in a treatment setting which centers Indigenous perspectives. He has also founded an incorporated non-profit that is designed to address institutionalization and support affected individuals. In his free time, Trevor enjoys spending time in nature, foraging, fishing, or hunting. He also plays basketball and soccer. Trevor continues to engage with his Indigenous heritage and culture by attending ceremonies and events whenever he can.
Yusef Pierce
Yusef has been involved with The Inside-Out Program since 2019. He decided to become a coach because he “wanted to help other educators navigate [carceral] environments with empathy, intentionality, and a commitment to humanizing every student.” He currently works as a lead facilitator for the Prison Education Project where he teaches life skills courses in juvenile detention centers and adult prisons throughout California. Yusef is originally from Southern California where he still resides today. In his free time, Yusef is an artist and digital illustrator, reflecting that “creativity is a vital tool for both personal expression and community building.”
“My reasons for becoming a coach can be distilled to this: many system-impacted individuals are searching for the tools to rebuild their lives—people who want to return to their communities as engaged citizens. Education was that bridge for me, and my hope is to extend that same access to self-understanding and growth that was once offered to me."
– Joe Schwartz
