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Peer Mentors
Clifford Lacy and his wife Deanna
Founder of the P.E.W.P.
Here are 3 of his top mentors he has trained.
Statement- Justin Sebastian
My name is Justin Eric Sebastian, b. 1-28-1977. In 1998 I was sentenced to serve
twenty-five years to life in prison for murder. I spent the first years of my sentence in
lock down, without television, radio, window, or positive human interaction. I read
voraciously, wrote poetry, and fell in love with philosophy. After a rough start, I was
eventually able to maintain a good disciplinary record, steadily decreasing in custody
level. I eventually earned my G.E.D. and learned vocational skills. I've held one job or
another ever since, always seeking to increase my station in life by virtue of my own
merit. All the while I've been a student of the human condition.
There came a time when I realized that many of my friends were "mentors", the uniting theme, besides our friendship, was the fact that these men were rational, noble, and responsible members of the prison community. They were all graduates from the Prison Experience Workshop Life Skills Program. Eventually I enrolled in the P.E.W. class with the goal of becoming an asset to my community, and society as well.
There came a point when I realized that I wanted to create an environment of
propriety, positive growth and opportunity, where men may progress mentally,
physically, and spiritually toward self-actualization. I believe that the Prison Experience Workshop Life Skills Program and the positive roll models who are attendant with these programs have played a large part in providing me with the tools and the support structure to make this possible. Like never before, I am proud of who I am, and of what I am capable of.
Justin Eric Sebastian #140442
Arizona State Prison Complex- Yuma
Cheyenne Unit
P.O. Box 8939
San Luis, Az. 85349
Statement: Kamaal Q. M. Deen
Prison Experience Workshop, Mentor, facilitator, and Restorative Justice Committee
member. One of the original P.E.W. (Prison Experience Workshop) mentors, initiator of
change through life experiences. My "hope" is through faith and the will of man, to
change !!! As well as making a positive imprint on all those I encounter.
Mission Statement:
To always keep my faith first and foremost,
To live honorably through my faith,
To be better today than yesterday,
To always think twice before I make any decisions,
To treat everyone I encounter with respect and dignity,
To be an asset in any community I reside in,
To always honor my faith and family ...
Kamaal Qadeer Muwakkil-Ud Deen
Kamaal Q. M. Deen #78833
Arizona State Prison Complex- Yuma
Cheyenne Unit
P.O. Box 8939
San Luis, Az. 85349
Statement: Sigmund Asbjorn Odhinnson
Rehabilitation is considered a four letter word by many administrators of most
departments of correction. Since colonial times there has been a strict focus on
punishment, opposed to rehabilitation. The inability to effectively rehabilitate inmates is evinced through high recidivism, and low rates of parole, clemency, or commutation for deserving offenders. This lack of efficacy stems from a lack of programs which incorporate proven rehabilitative paradigms. For reasons unknown, or through a willful lack of concern, Arizona is one such department.
Amazingly, many incarcerated individuals did not allow this to discourage them
from progressing themselves. Inmates who cared for themselves and the "community" in which they lived began to band together for change. The vision of one individual gave these men a rare thing behind prison walls- hope. This vision manifested itself in a program focusing on complete lifestyle renovation.
As a "lifer", I saw an opportunity in P.E.W. to effect positive change in myself
and those around me. A living program which evolves to fit the needs of its students,
P.E.W.P. shows something which many have never seen within themselves: worth. Selfesteem, a sense of self-worth, is the foundation on which a man is built. The P.E.W.P. program first uncovers this within the individual, then builds upon that foundation by teaching applicable "life-skills.
As a mentor, my goal is to better prepare individuals for their re-entrance into
society, -men who become productive members of their families, and leaders within their community. Effective, goal-oriented citizens less likely to resort to crime or substance abuse to e~cape the reality of the common struggles present in daily life.
Sigmund Asbjorn Odhinnson #115356
Arizona State Prison Complex- Yuma
Cheyenne Unit
P.O. Box 8939
San Luis, Az. 85349
Clifford Lacy and his wife Deanna
Founder of the P.E.W.P.
Here are 3 of his top mentors he has trained.
Statement- Justin Sebastian
My name is Justin Eric Sebastian, b. 1-28-1977. In 1998 I was sentenced to serve
twenty-five years to life in prison for murder. I spent the first years of my sentence in
lock down, without television, radio, window, or positive human interaction. I read
voraciously, wrote poetry, and fell in love with philosophy. After a rough start, I was
eventually able to maintain a good disciplinary record, steadily decreasing in custody
level. I eventually earned my G.E.D. and learned vocational skills. I've held one job or
another ever since, always seeking to increase my station in life by virtue of my own
merit. All the while I've been a student of the human condition.
There came a time when I realized that many of my friends were "mentors", the uniting theme, besides our friendship, was the fact that these men were rational, noble, and responsible members of the prison community. They were all graduates from the Prison Experience Workshop Life Skills Program. Eventually I enrolled in the P.E.W. class with the goal of becoming an asset to my community, and society as well.
There came a point when I realized that I wanted to create an environment of
propriety, positive growth and opportunity, where men may progress mentally,
physically, and spiritually toward self-actualization. I believe that the Prison Experience Workshop Life Skills Program and the positive roll models who are attendant with these programs have played a large part in providing me with the tools and the support structure to make this possible. Like never before, I am proud of who I am, and of what I am capable of.
Justin Eric Sebastian #140442
Arizona State Prison Complex- Yuma
Cheyenne Unit
P.O. Box 8939
San Luis, Az. 85349
Statement: Kamaal Q. M. Deen
Prison Experience Workshop, Mentor, facilitator, and Restorative Justice Committee
member. One of the original P.E.W. (Prison Experience Workshop) mentors, initiator of
change through life experiences. My "hope" is through faith and the will of man, to
change !!! As well as making a positive imprint on all those I encounter.
Mission Statement:
To always keep my faith first and foremost,
To live honorably through my faith,
To be better today than yesterday,
To always think twice before I make any decisions,
To treat everyone I encounter with respect and dignity,
To be an asset in any community I reside in,
To always honor my faith and family ...
Kamaal Qadeer Muwakkil-Ud Deen
Kamaal Q. M. Deen #78833
Arizona State Prison Complex- Yuma
Cheyenne Unit
P.O. Box 8939
San Luis, Az. 85349
Statement: Sigmund Asbjorn Odhinnson
Rehabilitation is considered a four letter word by many administrators of most
departments of correction. Since colonial times there has been a strict focus on
punishment, opposed to rehabilitation. The inability to effectively rehabilitate inmates is evinced through high recidivism, and low rates of parole, clemency, or commutation for deserving offenders. This lack of efficacy stems from a lack of programs which incorporate proven rehabilitative paradigms. For reasons unknown, or through a willful lack of concern, Arizona is one such department.
Amazingly, many incarcerated individuals did not allow this to discourage them
from progressing themselves. Inmates who cared for themselves and the "community" in which they lived began to band together for change. The vision of one individual gave these men a rare thing behind prison walls- hope. This vision manifested itself in a program focusing on complete lifestyle renovation.
As a "lifer", I saw an opportunity in P.E.W. to effect positive change in myself
and those around me. A living program which evolves to fit the needs of its students,
P.E.W.P. shows something which many have never seen within themselves: worth. Selfesteem, a sense of self-worth, is the foundation on which a man is built. The P.E.W.P. program first uncovers this within the individual, then builds upon that foundation by teaching applicable "life-skills.
As a mentor, my goal is to better prepare individuals for their re-entrance into
society, -men who become productive members of their families, and leaders within their community. Effective, goal-oriented citizens less likely to resort to crime or substance abuse to e~cape the reality of the common struggles present in daily life.
Sigmund Asbjorn Odhinnson #115356
Arizona State Prison Complex- Yuma
Cheyenne Unit
P.O. Box 8939
San Luis, Az. 85349