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On The Inside Reentry Academy, Founder/ Executive Director
On The Inside Reentry Academy, Founder/ Executive Director
Kardell Sims, an emerging leader and one of the most sought after speaker in the correctional industry, is a testament to the power of transformation and the importance of second chances. Growing up on the Northside of Sedalia, Missouri, Kardell experienced firsthand the challenges of racial segregation, community decay, and the devastating impact of the crack epidemic. His early life was marked by a cycle of incarceration that lasted from age 15 to 39, including multiple stays in juvenile detention, foster homes, county jails, treatment facilities, state prisons, and federal prison.
However, during his final federal prison sentence, Kardell made a pivotal decision to change his life's trajectory. Through sheer determination, careful planning, and a significant mindset shift, he broke free from the cycle of recidivism that had defined his past.
Today, Kardell is an accomplished entrepreneur, author, and one of the emerging leaders in the field of reentry. He is the founder of On The Inside Re-Entry Academy (currently in Missouri Dept of Correction & Arizona Dept. of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry) and the driving force behind the On The Inside Empowerment Workshop Tour, which has visited over 27 institutions across 8 states, providing full-day workshops featuring successful formerly incarcerated educators and correctional educators.
On The Inside: Transforming Prison Reentry Through Lived Experiences
On The Inside: Transforming Prison Reentry Through Lived Experiences
This dynamic presentation offers conference attendees a transformative framework for prison reentry that integrates lived experience with evidence-based practices. Drawing from personal journey and professional expertise spanning 27 correctional facilities, this session presents the Inside Transformation Framework—a comprehensive approach that begins pre-release and addresses the psychological, social, and systemic barriers to successful reintegration.
This presentation stands apart through its integration of lived experience with program development expertise. Rather than theoretical approaches designed by outsiders, it offers authentic insights from someone who has navigated both sides of the reentry process. The session balances powerful personal narrative with concrete, replicable methodologies that have demonstrated success across diverse facilities and populations.
By focusing on transformation rather than management, this session offers a paradigm shift in how we approach reentry—moving from programs to movements, from service to empowerment, and from outside intervention to inside activation.
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