PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Retired Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Benjamin Lerner remembers first meeting Kashif Jones more than 10 years ago.
“After hearing the evidence, I found Kashif guilty of some of the offenses,” Lerner said. “In accordance with the sentencing guidelines, I had to sentence him to a pretty substantial state prison sentence.”
Jones served more than a decade in prison on manslaughter charges. He recently returned to the courtroom for a different reason.
He asked Lerner to participate in life skills programs for his anti-violence nonprofit called Relentless Community Development. It was his way of showing Lerner the work he was doing as a community organizer to help at-risk youth.
“Judges who put defendants in jail do not often have the experience of having that person come back and seek them out and tell them, ‘I appreciate how much you’ve helped me,’” Lerner said.
Related
Relentless Community Development is based on Jones’ own experience growing up.
“It started from me not coming to school dressed clean enough,” Jones said. “You get talked about, and now you want to fight and now weapons are involved.
“I try to get to the root of it, so that’s why I try to give away some nice sneakers and teach them ways to make money through workshops so they won’t have to go that route.”
Lerner was delighted to collaborate with Jones because of the passion he has for the work he’s doing.
“He’s proven that he’s the person who’s really about doing the work, not for the credit it might bring in or for something he thinks is good for his reputation,” Lerner said.
Related
After about a year of working together, they’re learning from one another while also trying to change the narrative around rehabilitation.
“There's a lot of criticism about incarceration and how it is supposed to destroy any chance anybody has to really rehabilitate themselves,” Jones said. “To come out a changed person who's really determined to do something, not only for themselves and their family but for their community, that is somewhat rare.”