Creating a Culture of Credibility and Leadership Among System-Impacted Persons: Perspectives on Crime and Justice from Lived Experience

• In Event: Creating a Culture of Credibility and Leadership Among System-Impacted Persons

Abstract

Conversations about crime and justice are often shaped by those in positions of institutional power—academics, policymakers, and legal professionals—while the voices of those directly impacted by the criminal-legal system remain marginalized. This presentation reclaims that space, centering the lived experience of system-impacted individuals as a vital source of knowledge and leadership. Through personal narrative and critical analysis, this discussion will challenge dominant assumptions about justice, accountability, and rehabilitation, offering a perspective that is rooted in firsthand experience rather than external observation. It will also examine the systemic barriers that shape criminalization and reentry, the role of credible messengers in advocacy and leadership, and the need for justice frameworks that move beyond punishment toward equity and community-led transformation. By recognizing lived experience as expertise, this presentation contributes to a broader conversation about building a justice system that truly reflects and serves impacted communities.

Author

• Dajuan Wiggins, Youth Business Initiative