After an addiction to prescription opioids and serving almost fourteen months in a Federal prison (2006 – 07) for a white-collar crime (fraudulent application for SBA disaster loan) he committed in 2001 when he was lawyer, Jeff started his own reentry – earning a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, majoring in Social Ethics. After graduating from divinity school, Jeff was called to serve at an inner city church in Bridgeport, CT as Associate Minister and Director of Prison Ministries. He then co-founded Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. (Greenwich, CT), the world’s first ministry serving the white collar justice community.
On May 5, 2021, Jeff’s law license was reinstated by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
Now again in private practice, Jeff is an attorney and counselor-at-law providing private general counsel, legal crisis management, and dispute strategy and management services to individuals and families, real estate organizations, family-owned and closely-held businesses, the white collar justice community, and special situation and pro bono clients. He is a nationally recognized expert in SBA, PPP, EIDL loan fraud.
For over 20 years Jeff served as managing attorney of a 20+ employee law firm headquartered in New York City, and then Westchester County, NY. Among other practice areas, the firm engaged in representation of family-owned/closely held businesses and their owners, business and real estate transactions, trusts and estates, and litigation. Jeff also served as outside General Counsel to large family-owned real estate equities, management and brokerage organizations, in which role he retained, coordinated and oversaw the work of many specialty law firms, including white collar defense firms.
Link to Jeff’s full bio and links to articles, video, podcasts & radio here.
DESIGNATIONS/AWARDS:
Twice Selected as a Nantucket Project Scholar
JustLeadershipUSA Fifteen Inaugural National Leaders in Criminal Justice
Keepers of the Commons Fellow
Keepers of the Commons Senior Fellow
Elizabeth Bush Award for Volunteerism
Three Time Bridgeport Reentry Collaborative Advocate of the Year Award
Four Time Bridgeport Reentry Collaborative Professional of the Year
Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence Award
Connecticut NAACP Award
Selected as a Collegeville Institute Writing Fellow
CAREER:
Professional Speaker 20+ years
Practicing Attorney 20 years
Minister/Prison Minister 10 years
Reentry & Recovery Professional – Clean & Sober 17+ years
DEGREES:
Juris Doctorate, New York Law School
Master of Divinity, Union Theological Seminary
ASSOCIATIONS:
American Bar Association
New York State Bar Association
New York City Bar Association
National Association of Criminal Defense Counsel
National Speakers Association, Professional Member
Reuters: Jeff Grant ‘Let Go of the Outcome’: How this Felon Beat Addiction and Won Back his Law License, by Jenna Greene, May 2021: https://www.reuters.com/business/legal/i-let-go-outcome-how-this-felon-beat-addiction-won-back-his-law-license-2021-05-21/
Entrepreneur’s #4 Most Viewed Article of 2020: I Went to Prison for S.B.A. Loan Fraud: 7 Things to Know When Taking COVID-19 Relief Money: by Jeff Grant, April 2020: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/350337
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Steal Money from the Feds? First, Meet Jeff Grant, an Ex-Con who Committed Loan Fraud, by Erin Arvedlund, Oct. 2020: https://www.inquirer.com/business/sba-loan-fraud-jeff-grant-white-collar-week-crime-bill-baroni-20201018.html
Greenwich Magazine: The Redemption of Jeff Grant, by Tim Dumas, March 2018: https://greenwichmag.com/features/the-redemption-of-jeff-grant
Forbes: As Law Enforcement Pursues SBA/PPP Loan Fraud, A Story Of Redemption, by Kelly Phillips Erb, July 2020: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2020/07/14/as-law-enforcement-pursues-sba-loan-fraud-jeff-grant-talks-redemption/#7a4f70cc4483
Recent Podcasts/Radio:
The Confessional with Nadia Bolz-Weber, Podcast, May 2021: https://nadiabolzweber.com/308-jeff-grant/
Greater Good Radio with Bob Kosch, WOR 710 AM NYC, May 2021: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1248-greater-good-radio-with-b-81131426
Selected Video:
The Rich Roll Podcast: The Awakening of Jeff Grant: From Addiction & Incarceration To Prison Ministry, 2019: https://www.richroll.com/podcast/jeff-grant-440/
Founders Focus Podcast with Scott Case, 2021, Interview, https://youtu.be/y5icqQcMtPc?list=PLbNxOsmSNw3x3jR9P9fJfHrYkuQGXzJl9
White Collar Support Group, Meets Mondays 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT: We held our 250th online support group meeting in March 2021. We have had over 320 participants, and average about 25 attendees at each meeting: https://prisonist.org/white-collar-support-group/
Sample Episodes of White Collar Week Podcast (video & audio):
White Collar Week Podcast, Ep. 01: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group. 16 of our support group members tell their personal stories: https://prisonist.org/white-collar-week-with-jeff-grant-podcast-episode-01-16-free-from-prison-an-evening-with-our-white-collar-support-group/
White Collar Week Podcast, Ep. 06: Madoff Talks, with guest Jim Campbell, author of the book coming out April 2021, “Madoff Talks, Uncovering the Untold Story Behind the Most Notorious Ponzi Scheme in History.”: https://prisonist.org/white-collar-week-with-jeff-grant-podcast-ep-06-madoff-talks-with-guest-jim-campbell/
White Collar Week Podcast, Ep. 21, All Things SBA, PPP & EIDL, Guest: Hannah Smolinski, CPA: https://prisonist.org/white-collar-week-with-jeff-grant-all-things-sba-ppp-eidl-with-guest-hannah-smolinski-cpa-virtual-cfo-podcast-ep-21/
Gary U.S. Bonds had been a big deal in the early sixties. Thanks to a new tour produced by Bruce Springsteen and a hit called Dedication, he was enjoying a major comeback when I saw his name up on the marquee of The Paradise. Some friends and I had just finished a basketball game on the Mount. As usual, I’d played center like an animal, high on an assortment of pills I’d found in the glove compartment of Jeffri Schwartz’s 1969 Ford Mustang that we’d driven up to Boston to celebrate Richie Gold’s birthday. It had been a rough, physical game and my face and sweatshirt were a holy mess of dirt and bloodstains. I felt like a million bucks. A kind of raw, visceral power coursed through my veins as the Mustang coasted down the hill towards Commonwealth Avenue. We had just turned the corner when I spotted the marquee.
I was a big Springsteen fan. Big. I’d seen him play when he wasn’t so well known. Darlene Blatt, a girl I’d met at college orientation, had dated Bruce’s first drummer, Vinny “Mad Dog” Lopez. Or maybe a friend of hers had dated him; it’s hard to remember it all now. She told us all about Springsteen and his band when I met her up at Brockport those first few days of orientation. During the summer of ’74, when Bruce’s second album came out, The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, I picked Arlene up from her folks’ apartment in Brooklyn and a bunch of us went down to Red Bank, New Jersey to see Bruce and the band play. Thirty minutes into the three-hour show, we were all hooked.
Red Bank was Springsteen country; he and the band were all from the Asbury Park area, just a few miles up and down the Garden State Parkway. So Bruce knew a lot of people in the audience. He called out to them from the stage and they called out back to him. It was like a revival meeting, or maybe an all-night fraternity kegger. Bruce and the band played so long that at one point he walked up the aisle of the auditorium, opened the back door out to the sidewalk and personally assured the people waiting for the second show that he’d give them a full set too. I heard that the second show lasted until after 3 a.m. that night. But there are so many stories now about Bruce that they have become legend. I knew that Bruce was behind Gary U.S. Bond’s comeback. And on this particular afternoon, I was just high, or stupid, enough to decide that we had to add Gary’s show to our collection of Springsteen stories.
We pulled the car over and piled out looking pretty ragged and smelling awfully rancid. Looking just perfect for a sketch. I went up to the ticket window and introduced myself as Freddy Bastiglione, the son of Phil Bastiglione, owner of Concerts West in New York City.
Now I am not, nor have I ever been, Freddy Bastiglione. But Freddy did go to my high school. And his family did live in Merrick, the Long Island neighborhood in which I was raised. So I did know at least that Freddy’s dad owned one of the largest, if not the largest, concert promotion companies in New York. I knew that my grungy get-up was more than perfect to help me pass off as Freddy Bastiglione. Who else but the son of a huge rock promoter would show up at a rock concert venue in sweaty gym clothes? Demanding, no less, tickets to that night’s Gary U.S. Bonds show? It seemed insane, and perfect. With my stock brand of over-in-bred Long Island charisma (one part overly gregarious and one part dismissively arrogant) I told the ticket clerk that there should be four complimentary passes waiting for me. Long Islanders are not short on balls.
“I’m on the EMI/Thorn list,” I stated.
Direct. To the point. I was a Springsteen fan; I knew his label. The ticket clerk looked the guest list over. He turned back to me and apologized. I wasn’t on the list. I steeled myself and asked him if he knew who my father was.
“I’m meeting important industry people tonight,” I insisted. “If I’m embarrassed, Gary U.S. Bonds will never play New York again.”
The clerk gave me the look. I didn’t blink. He ran to get Gary’s road manager.
About five minutes later, the front door of the Paradise opened. Gary’s road manager Anne greeted us with a smile and a handshake. There was no turning back then. I explained how my friends, my basketball and I were standing there without our tickets for that night’s show. And how very disappointed I was. And how when I was disappointed, I explained, my father, Phil Bastiglione, was disappointed too. Anne apologized and put us down for a table up front.
“Why don’t you came back an hour before the show,” she offered, “and you can have dinner with the band?”
Wow. We climbed back into the Mustang and headed over to Richie’s apartment on Beacon Street to shower, change, and get started. We weren’t sure if we were in for the night of our lives or if we were going to end up in jail. Or both.
We arrived at the Paradise at about seven, ready to party. I knocked on the front door and Anne led us immediately to a room in the back. There was a huge spread of food, liquor and beer. On the far side of the room Gary and the band were snorting lines of coke off a glass cocktail table. He motioned us over, shook our hands, and offered us some. We spent the next hour talking, laughing, and partying with the band. At about five minutes to eight, Anne came out and showed us to our table. We were seated right in front, maybe five feet from the stage. As Gary and the band played their set, a spray of Gary’s sweat flew into our faces. We were so high we could barely make out the words.
Somehow I got inspired and scrawled a note on a piece of paper. In between songs, I stood up and handed it up to Gary up on stage. He looked kind of startled as if that sort of thing wasn’t supposed to happen. As he read the note he laughed and then announced to the crowd that it had been twenty years, or more, since he had taken any dedications during a show. But, on this special night, in honor of his good friend Richie Gold, the band was going to sing Happy Birthday. And then they did. Gary U.S. Bonds and his band sang Happy Birthday to my friend, Richie Gold. And then they went into their Number One Hit, Dedication.
On Friday, Mar. 6, 2020, 9 am ET, Hans Hallundbaek, Director of the Interfaith Prison Partnership, was our guest on Criminal Justice Insider with Babz Rawls Ivy & Jeff Grant – The Voice of CT Criminal Justice. Live on WNHH 103.5 FM New Haven, rebroadcast at 5 pm. Live-streamed and podcast everywhere, see below. Sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven – Now More Than Ever.
Hans Hallunbaek is the Director of the Interfaith Prison Partnership. He is also a co-founding board member of Rehabilitation Through the Arts, is the UN NGO representative for the International Prison Chaplains Association (IPCA), a service Chaplain at Sing Sing (NY) Correctional Facility, the Coordinator of the Prison Partnership Program of the Hudson River Presbytery (NY), and the NGO representative for CURE International. He has taught courses on ethics, criminal justice and prison issues at several NY colleges, including John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. Hans has a BS in Engineering, an MA from Maryknoll School of Theology, and an M-Div and D-Min from New York Theological Seminary.
Listen on SoundCloud:
Watch on YouTube:
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The Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy and Jeff Grant is broadcast live at 9 am ET on the first and third Friday of each month Sept. through June, from the WNHH 103.5 FM studios in New Haven. It is rebroadcast on WNHH at 5 pm ET the same day. Podcast and Archive available all the time, everywhere.
Fri., Sept. 6, 2019: Khalil Cumberbatch, Chief Strategist at New Yorkers United for Justice Fri., Sept. 20, 2019: Aaron T. Kinzel, Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Fri., Oct. 4, 2019: Charlie Grady, Outreach Specialist for the FBI CT Community Outreach Program Fri., Oct. 18, 2019: Michael Kimelman, Former Hedge Funder and Author of Confessions of a Wall Street Insider: A Cautionary Tale of Rats, Feds, and Banksters Fri., Nov. 1, 2019: Corey Brinson, Former Attorney Convicted for a White Collar Crime who is running for Hartford City Council Fri., Nov. 15, 2019: Cathryn Lavery, Ph.D., Asst. Chair & Graduate Coordinator for the Iona College Criminal Justice Department Fri., Dec. 6, 2019: “Free Prison Phone Calls” Show, Guests to be Announced. Fri. Dec. 20, 2019: John Hamilton, CEO, Liberation Programs Fri., Jan. 3, 2020: Reginald Dwayne Betts, Lawyer, Poet, Lecturer on Mass Incarceration Fri., Jan. 17, 2019: Serena Ligouri, Executive Director, New Hour for Women & Children – L.I. Fri., Feb. 7, 2020: David Garlock, Program Director, New Person Ministries, Lancaster, PA Fri., Mar. 20, 2020: Tiheba Bain, Women’s Incarceration Advocate
Season Two Guests:
Fri., Sept. 9, 2018: Kennard Ray, CT Unlock the Vote and Candidate for CT State Legislator Fri., Sept. 21, 2018: Louis L. Reed, National Organizer for #Cut50 Fri., Oct. 5, 2018: Sue Gunderman & Beth Hines, CT Reentry Roundtables Fri., Oct. 19, 2018: Venice Michalsen, Assoc. Professor of Justice Studies, Montclair State University Fri., Nov. 16, 2018: Andrew Clark, Director of the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy, Central Connecticut State University Fri., Dec. 7, 2018: Glenn E. Martin, Founder/Consultant of GEM Trainers and Past-President and Founder of JustLeadershipUSA Fri., Dec. 21, 2018: Fernando Muniz, CEO of Community Solutions, Inc., and community leader Rosa Correa. Fri., Jan. 4, 2019: New Years Retrospective Show Looking Back at Past CJI Guests. Fri. Jan. 18, 2019: Peter Henning, Law Prof. at Wayne State University and “White Collar Watch” columnist for the NY Times. Fri., Feb. 1, 2019: Jeffrey Deskovic, CEO of The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation who was Exonerated after Serving 16 Years in Prison Fri., Feb. 15, 2019: Jeffrey Abramowitz, Executive Director for Reentry Services, JEVS Human Services, Philadelphia. Fri., Mar. 1, 2019, Rollin Cook, CT Commissioner of Correction Fri., Mar. 15, 2019: Dieter Tejada, Justice Impacted Criminal Justice Advocate Fri., Apr. 5, 2019: John Rowland, Former CT Governor Fri., Apr. 19, 2019: Gregg D. Caruso, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Corning & Co-Director of the Justice Without Retribution Network at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland Fri., May 3, 2019: Michael Taylor, CEO of Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center in the Greater New Haven area Fri., May 17, 2019: Tarra Simmons, Esq., Attorney & Criminal Justice Reform Advocate, Washington State Fri., June 7, 2019: Louis L. Reed, National Organizer for #Cut50, Part Deux! Fri., June 21, 2019: Marcus Bullock, CEO of Flikshop
Sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven – Now More Than Ever.
“Larry” – Husband, father, and formerly incarcerated.
Chion Wolf / Connecticut Public Radio
View Slideshow3 of 4
Jeffrey Grant – former lawyer, minister, co-founder prisonist.org, co-host of Criminal Justice Insider podcast on WNHH FM in New Haven, and formerly incarcerated.
Chion Wolf / Connecticut Public Radio
View Slideshow4 of 4
Da’ee McKnight – Program Manager, Young Fathers ReEntry Project, for Family ReEntry, and formerly incarcerated.
Chion Wolf / Connecticut Public Radio
Connecticut’s “Second Chance Society” has reduced the number of people going into prison and better prepared offenders for a meaningful life when they get out.
We’ve closed prisons, repealed the death penalty, and raised the age at which young people can be tried as adults. We’ve added reentry programs modeled loosely on the German prison system, where incarcerated men and women raise and cook their own food, wear their own clothes, and participate in longterm therapy.
Yet, too many men and women don’t benefit from the changes: discrimination, inconsistent funding, and ineligibility from programs make it harder for some to succeed after prison.
Today, we talk about the challenges that remain with those who know best – the formerly incarcerated.
GUESTS:
“Larry” – Husband, father, and formerly incarcerated
Da’ee McKnight – Program Manager, Young Fathers ReEntry Project, for Family ReEntry, and formerly incarcerated
Jeffrey Grant – former lawyer, minister, co-founder prisonist.org, co-host of Criminal Justice Insider podcast on WNHH FM in New Haven, and formerly incarcerated
On Friday, March 20, 2020, 9 am ET, Tiheba Bain was our guest on the Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy & Jeff Grant – The Voice of Criminal Justice. Live on WNHH 103.5 FM New Haven, rebroadcast at 5 pm. Live-streamed and podcast 24/7 everywhere, see below. Sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.
Watch on YouTube:
Listen on SoundCloud:
Tiheba Bain is the Director of Coalitions for The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. She works with various organizations around the country building out coalitions surrounding criminal justice reform. She also founded Women Against Mass Incarceration, a grassroots nonprofit organization, empowering the justice activism of women and girls.
Originally from Brooklyn, Tiheba became a Justice-in-Education Scholar in the summer of 2016. She describes her time in the Justice-in-Education program as challenging, as she was just beginning to work full time and was concurrently taking other classes, but she remains grateful for the support of her classmates and teachers.
She recently graduated with a dual Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Women and Criminal Justice from CUNY Baccalaureate Interdisciplinary and Unique Studies Program. She is a contributing published author to Race Education and Reintegration and she assisted with the legislation of Senate Bill 13 in Connecticut, which concerned the fair treatment of incarcerated persons.
Whether she’s advocating for policy changes or providing direct services to women and girls, Tiheba has dedicated her life to making change within the criminal injustice system.
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The Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy and Jeff Grant is broadcast live at 9 am ET on the first and third Friday of each month Sept. through June, from the WNHH 103.5 FM studios in New Haven. It is rebroadcast on WNHH at 5 pm ET the same day. Podcast and Archive available 24/7 everywhere.
Fri., Sept. 6, 2019: Khalil Cumberbatch, Chief Strategist at New Yorkers United for Justice Fri., Sept. 20, 2019: Aaron T. Kinzel, Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Fri., Oct. 4, 2019: Charlie Grady, Outreach Specialist for the FBI CT Community Outreach Program Fri., Oct. 18, 2019: Michael Kimelman, Former Hedge Funder and Author of Confessions of a Wall Street Insider: A Cautionary Tale of Rats, Feds, and Banksters Fri., Nov. 1, 2019: Corey Brinson, Former Attorney Convicted for a White Collar Crime who is running for Hartford City Council Fri., Nov. 15, 2019: Cathryn Lavery, Ph.D., Asst. Chair & Graduate Coordinator for the Iona College Criminal Justice Department Fri., Dec. 6, 2019: “Free Prison Phone Calls” Show, Guests to be Announced. Fri. Dec. 20, 2019: John Hamilton, CEO, Liberation Programs Fri., Jan. 17, 2019: Serena Ligouri, Executive Director, New Hour for Women & Children – L.I. Fri., Feb. 7, 2020: David Garlock, Program Director, New Person Ministries, Lancaster, PA Fri., Mar. 20, 2020: Tiheba Bain, Women’s Incarceration Advocate
Season Two Guests:
Fri., Sept. 9, 2018: Kennard Ray, CT Unlock the Vote and Candidate for CT State Legislator Fri., Sept. 21, 2018: Louis L. Reed, National Organizer for #Cut50 Fri., Oct. 5, 2018: Sue Gunderman & Beth Hines, CT Reentry Roundtables Fri., Oct. 19, 2018: Venice Michalsen, Assoc. Professor of Justice Studies, Montclair State University Fri., Nov. 16, 2018: Andrew Clark, Director of the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy, Central Connecticut State University Fri., Dec. 7, 2018: Glenn E. Martin, Founder/Consultant of GEM Trainers and Past-President and Founder of JustLeadershipUSA Fri., Dec. 21, 2018: Fernando Muniz, CEO of Community Solutions, Inc., and community leader Rosa Correa. Fri., Jan. 4, 2019: New Years Retrospective Show Looking Back at Past CJI Guests. Fri. Jan. 18, 2019: Peter Henning, Law Prof. at Wayne State University and “White Collar Watch” columnist for the NY Times. Fri., Feb. 1, 2019: Jeffrey Deskovic, CEO of The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation who was Exonerated after Serving 16 Years in Prison Fri., Feb. 15, 2019: Jeffrey Abramowitz, Executive Director for Reentry Services, JEVS Human Services, Philadelphia. Fri., Mar. 1, 2019, Rollin Cook, CT Commissioner of Correction Fri., Mar. 15, 2019: Dieter Tejada, Justice Impacted Criminal Justice Advocate Fri., Apr. 5, 2019: John Rowland, Former CT Governor Fri., Apr. 19, 2019: Gregg D. Caruso, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Corning & Co-Director of the Justice Without Retribution Network at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland Fri., May 3, 2019: Michael Taylor, CEO of Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center in the Greater New Haven area Fri., May 17, 2019: Tarra Simmons, Esq., Attorney & Criminal Justice Reform Advocate, Washington State Fri., June 7, 2019: Louis L. Reed, National Organizer for #Cut50, Part Deux! Fri., June 21, 2019: Marcus Bullock, CEO of Flikshop
Sponsored by the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven – Now More Than Ever.
Jeff Grant, J.D., M.Div. is an ordained minister with over three decades of experience in crisis management, business, law, reentry, recovery (clean & sober 17+ years), and executive & religious leadership. Often referred to in the press as “The Minister to Hedge Funders,” he regularly uses his experience and background to guide people faithfully forward in their lives, relationships, careers and business opportunities, and to help them from making the kinds of decisions that previously resulted in loss, suffering and shame. As an ordained minister, conversations and communications between Jeff and those he serves fall under clergy privilege laws. This is one reason that attorneys often allow and encourage their clients to maintain relationships with Jeff while in active prosecution or litigation situations. After an addiction to prescription opioids and serving almost fourteen months in a Federal prison for a white-collar crime he committed when he was a lawyer, Jeff started his own reentry – earning a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, with a focus in Christian Social Ethics. After graduating from divinity school, Jeff was called to serve at an inner-city church in Bridgeport, CT as Associate Minister and Director of Prison Ministries. He, and his wife and partner-in-ministry Lynn Springer, then co-founded Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. (Greenwich, CT), the world’s first ministry supporting the white collar justice/economy exiled community. Jeff also serves on the ministry team at St. Joseph Mission Church (Cliffside Park, NJ) and as Chaplain to the Woodbury Fire Department (Woodbury, CT). From 2016 – 2019, Jeff served as the Executive Director of Family ReEntry, Inc. (Bridgeport, CT), a 100+ person criminal justice organization with offices and programs in eight Connecticut cities. Jeff is the first person in the United States formerly incarcerated for a white-collar crime to be appointed as Executive Director of a major criminal justice nonprofit. A former practicing attorney and general counsel to major real estate organizations and closely held companies, he studied law at and earned a Juris Doctorate from New York Law School. Jeff has served on a number of criminal justice related Boards including: The Mayor’s Advisory Council on Reentry Affairs, Co-chair, (Bridgeport, CT) ; Family ReEntry, (Bridgeport & New Haven, CT); Community Partners in Action (formerly the Connecticut Prison Association, Hartford, CT); , and Healing Communities Network, (New York, NY). Jeff has also served on the Editorial Board of the book, The Justice Imperative: How Hyper-Incarceration has Hijacked the American Dream, (Southport, CT), and on the Advisory Boards of Creative Projects Group, (Los Angeles, CA) and Reentry Survivors, (Bridgeport, CT). Highlighted speaking venues include Main Stage Presenter at The Nantucket Project (Nantucket, MA), the Greenwich Leadership Forum (Greenwich, CT), the Corrections Ministries and Chaplains Association (CMCA) Correctional Ministry Summit (Wheaton College, IL & Philadelphia, PA), Salons at Stowe – Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (Hartford, CT), Community Health Network of Connecticut Social Determinants of Health Summit (Wallingford, CT), The Mason Street Project (Greenwich, CT), Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York (NY, NY), Yale Divinity School (New Haven, CT) and many houses of worship throughout the Northeast. Jeff is a Professional Member of the National Speakers Association. Jeff and Lynn were the subjects of a twelve-page article in Greenwich Magazine (March 2018 issue). Jeff has also been the subject of or prominently mentioned in national and regional media including Vanity Fair (August 2019 issue), Forbes.com, Inc.com, The Huffington Post, Absolute Return/HedgeFund Intelligence, Business Insider, Institutional Investor, New York Magazine, Real Men Real Faith Magazine (cover story), Greenwich Magazine, Fairfield County Business Journal, Nonprofit Quarterly, Reentry Central, The Vision (the newspaper of the United Methodist Church NY Conference), Weston Magazine Group, Weston Forum, Hartford Courant, New Haven Register, New Haven Independent, Inner City News, Connecticut Post, Greenwich Sentinel, Greenwich Time, Greenwich Free Press, The Hour and many radio shows, televisions segments and podcasts including the Rich Roll Podcast (#440, May 2019). Jeff is also the editor of the important and widely-read blog, prisonist.org, at which he authors, edits and curates content around national and international criminal justice advocacy/ministry themes, and is Co-host of the Criminal Justice Insider podcast airing live on the first and third Fridays from New Haven, CT. He also leads a weekly online confidential White Collar/Economy Exiled Support Group (the first in the country); with over 150 participants, it has held over 170 meetings.
DESIGNATIONS/AWARDS
Twice Selected as a Nantucket Project Scholar JustLeadershipUSA Fifteen Inaugural National Leaders in Criminal Justice Keepers of the Commons Fellow Keepers of the Commons Senior Fellow Elizabeth Bush Award for Volunteerism Three Time Bridgeport Reentry Collaborative Advocate of the Year Award Four Time Bridgeport Reentry Collaborative Professional of the Year Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence Award Connecticut NAACP Award Selected as a Collegeville Institute Writing Fellow
CAREER:
Professional Speaker 20+ years Practicing Attorney 20 years Minister/Prison Minister 10 years Reentry & Recovery Professional – Clean & Sober 17+ years
DEGREES:
Juris Doctorate, New York Law School Master of Divinity, Union Theological Seminary
ASSOCIATIONS:
National Speakers Association, Professional Member NSA – Connecticut New York Law School Alumni Association Union Theological Seminary Alumni Association National Justice Impact Bar Association Correctional Chaplains & Ministries Association Westport/ Weston Clergy Association
Jeff Grant, J.D., M.Div. is an ordained minister with over three decades of experience in crisis management, business, law, reentry, recovery (clean & sober 17+ years), and executive & religious leadership. Often referred to in the press as “The Minister to Hedge Funders,” he regularly uses his experience and background to guide people faithfully forward in their lives, relationships, careers and business opportunities, and to help them from making the kinds of decisions that previously resulted in loss, suffering and shame.
As an ordained minister, conversations and communications between Jeff and those he serves fall under clergy privilege laws. This is one reason that attorneys often allow and encourage their clients to maintain relationships with Jeff while in active prosecution or litigation situations.
After an addiction to prescription opioids and serving almost fourteen months in a Federal prison for a white-collar crime he committed when he was a lawyer, Jeff started his own reentry – earning a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, with a focus in Christian Social Ethics. After graduating from divinity school, Jeff was called to serve at an inner-city church in Bridgeport, CT as Associate Minister and Director of Prison Ministries. He, and his wife and partner-in-ministry Lynn Springer, then co-founded Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. (Greenwich, CT), the world’s first ministry supporting the white collar justice/economy exiled community. Jeff also serves on the ministry team at St. Joseph Mission Church (Cliffside Park, NJ) and as Chaplain to the Woodbury Fire Department (Woodbury, CT).
From 2016 – 2019, Jeff served as the Executive Director of Family ReEntry, Inc. (Bridgeport, CT), a 100+ person criminal justice organization with offices and programs in eight Connecticut cities. Jeff is the first person in the United States formerly incarcerated for a white-collar crime to be appointed as Executive Director of a major criminal justice nonprofit. A former practicing attorney and general counsel to major real estate organizations and closely held companies, he studied law at and earned a Juris Doctorate from New York Law School.
Jeff has served on a number of criminal justice related Boards including: The Mayor’s Advisory Council on Reentry Affairs, Co-chair, (Bridgeport, CT) ; Family ReEntry, (Bridgeport & New Haven, CT); Community Partners in Action (formerly the Connecticut Prison Association, Hartford, CT); , and Healing Communities Network, (New York, NY). Jeff has also served on the Editorial Board of the book, The Justice Imperative: How Hyper-Incarceration has Hijacked the American Dream, (Southport, CT), and on the Advisory Boards of Creative Projects Group, (Los Angeles, CA) and Reentry Survivors, (Bridgeport, CT).
Highlighted speaking venues include Main Stage Presenter at The Nantucket Project (Nantucket, MA), the Greenwich Leadership Forum (Greenwich, CT), the Corrections Ministries and Chaplains Association (CMCA) Correctional Ministry Summit (Wheaton College, IL & Philadelphia, PA), Salons at Stowe – Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (Hartford, CT), Community Health Network of Connecticut Social Determinants of Health Summit (Wallingford, CT), The Mason Street Project (Greenwich, CT), Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York (NY, NY), Yale Divinity School (New Haven, CT) and many houses of worship throughout the Northeast. Jeff is a Professional Member of the National Speakers Association.
Jeff and Lynn were the subjects of a twelve-page article in Greenwich Magazine (March 2018 issue). Jeff has also been the subject of or prominently mentioned in national and regional media including Vanity Fair (August 2019 issue), Forbes.com, Inc.com, The Huffington Post, Absolute Return/HedgeFund Intelligence, Business Insider, Institutional Investor, New York Magazine, Real Men Real Faith Magazine (cover story), Greenwich Magazine, Fairfield County Business Journal, Nonprofit Quarterly, Reentry Central, The Vision (the newspaper of the United Methodist Church NY Conference), Weston Magazine Group, Weston Forum, Hartford Courant, New Haven Register, New Haven Independent, Inner City News, Connecticut Post, Greenwich Sentinel, Greenwich Time, Greenwich Free Press, The Hour and many radio shows, televisions segments and podcasts including the Rich Roll Podcast (#440, May 2019).
Jeff is also the editor of the important and widely-read blog, prisonist.org, at which he authors, edits and curates content around national and international criminal justice advocacy/ministry themes, and is Co-host of the Criminal Justice Insider podcast airing live on the first and third Fridays from New Haven, CT. He also leads a weekly online confidential White Collar/Economy Exiled Support Group (the first in the country); with over 150 participants, it has held over 170 meetings.
DESIGNATIONS/AWARDS
Twice Selected as a Nantucket Project Scholar JustLeadershipUSA Fifteen Inaugural National Leaders in Criminal Justice Keepers of the Commons Fellow Keepers of the Commons Senior Fellow Elizabeth Bush Award for Volunteerism Three Time Bridgeport Reentry Collaborative Advocate of the Year Award Four Time Bridgeport Reentry Collaborative Professional of the Year Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence Award Connecticut NAACP Award Selected as a Collegeville Institute Writing Fellow
CAREER:
Professional Speaker 20+ years Practicing Attorney 20 years Minister/Prison Minister 10 years Reentry & Recovery Professional – Clean & Sober 17+ years
DEGREES:
Juris Doctorate, New York Law School Master of Divinity, Union Theological Seminary
ASSOCIATIONS:
National Speakers Association, Professional Member NSA – Connecticut New York Law School Alumni Association Union Theological Seminary Alumni Association National Justice Impact Bar Association Correctional Chaplains & Ministries Association Westport/ Weston Clergy Association
Are you, a friend, family member, colleague or client looking for a community service opportunity? As the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting the White Collar/Economy Exiled Community, Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. has service opportunities throughout the United States. Please contact us for more information.
“Jeff is a true inspiration to anyone coming home from prison to face the many trials and tribulations that life throws at you. I made a very bad choice in 2009 which led me to a federal indictment and 7 months in Danbury Federal Prison Camp for women and then three months in a halfway house. I had gut wrenching guilt and remorse, and immersed myself in every program available in Danbury. I was seeking self-awareness of who I was and why I veered off my path of good decision making. It was not until I came home and met Jeff Grant that I truly started my journey to redemption and forgiveness. His amazing attitude, coupled with immense experience, brought such clarity to my very foggy existence. Jeff founded a White Collar Support Group and invited me to join in. Finding that group was such a turning point for me as I was lost. The group helped me with my immense feelings of guilt and how to overcome adversities that I never knew would exist for me. I am grateful to Jeff and all the men and women in that group and feel so fortunate to know I am not alone in my journey. Due to Jeff, I am able to give back to the women I now work with within the criminal justice system by utilizing my strengths, experience and educational background. “ – Jacqueline Polverari, MSW, Advocate Women’s Incarceration Issues, Connecticut
“Upon returning home from long-term incarceration I felt motivated to do the things necessary in order to bring some semblance of order back into my life. But as equipped as I was, there were certain things that I couldn’t have anticipated or prepared for. My emotional and mental health suffered from my inability to find someone – anyone – who understood. I felt afraid and impotent. But in my search for answers I came upon Jeff Grant. After reading his story, I reached out to him and found a kind and compassionate ear. He took the time to hear me out, listen to my fears, concerns, and hopes, and invited me to network with him and others in a way that helped me be conscious of the fact that my struggles are shared by others. He helped me appreciate that I could contribute to others lives in a way that helped them, and that being of service would help me as well. I credit Jeff not merely with being a helping hand, but with being a clearing house of resources and knowledge that I couldn’t have hoped for. He is attentive, humorous, giving of himself, and quick to work to develop meaningful solutions to problems that can have a lasting impact on the lives of the people around him. I’m grateful to Jeff for his friendship, advice, and leadership; I encourage anyone dealing with any life transition – especially, but not only, where the criminal justice and correctional systems are at play – to reach out to Jeff to ask for help.” – Joshua C. Cagney, M.A., Virginia
“Shortly after my release in September 2015, I was guided to Jeff’s door by complete chance and little did I know that I had just hit the proverbial “reentry” lottery that would help shape and change my life. I asked for his guidance about how I could possibly return to society as a once respected trial lawyer who was now branded a convicted felon. After words of support, Jeff suggested that I join the White Collar Support Group which met each week via the Internet. Not sure that I could even log in, as I was still living in a halfway house. I managed to find a library or satellite to check in, and can honestly say that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. This support group has given me an opportunity to share my thoughts, concerns and emotional trauma with a compassionate and understanding group of people who all traveled a similar journey and who all have now become good friends. There is no question that those who have experienced the criminal justice system all face common problems, barriers and trauma as we begin our reintegration into society. I am proud to say that I am associated with this fine group of people and hope and pray that some day we can share the lessons and benefits of the peer support and mentoring that has helped me to find my passion and purpose in life. Thank you!” – Jeffrey Abramowitz, Pennsylvania
“Jeff is a gift to anyone facing time in prison, as well as to anyone coming home from prison and trying to readjust to their new reality. I made a terrible choice at a critical time in my life and as a result was sentenced to 27 months in prison at FPC Alderson in West Virginia; I report next week. Unfortunately, I did not meet Jeff until a few hours after my sentencing, and I joined the White Collar Support Group the next Monday night. I wish I had had him with me throughout my entire journey. It’s such a relief to know I have someone in my corner to guide me through critical decisions and can just simply relate to every emotion and thought that pops into my head and all hours of the day (and night). He is realistic in his advice, sympathetic when he needs to be, and has brought me clarity and helped me put one foot in front of the other when I didn’t think I could muster up the strength to even get out of bed. I am so grateful to Jeff and all of the men and women in the group to know that I am not alone and have a confidant and friend I can talk to. In fact, one a of the women in the group is flying in to be with me when I self-surrender to prison. I hope to someday be able to give back to people in my position the way Jeff and this group has given to me.” Ashley Cole Furst, Colorado (currently serving in a Federal prison)
“Three months or so into dealing with a federal indictment for conspiracy (and wire fraud) in my wife’s Ponzi scheme, I was confused at what I was facing, and scared at the thought of what this would do to my family, especially my youngest children then aged 9 and 11 who were soon to lose both their parents to prison. I remember the first time I spoke to Jeff, I had just dropped off my two at school and was sitting in my car in the Walmart parking lot where I wouldn’t be disturbed. Jeff answered my call and I nervously introduced myself. I realized fairly quickly that this would be someone who could help me find some of the answers I was seeking. We talked for at least 90 minutes that morning, and never once did he rush me off or make me feel I was an inconvenience or my issues were not important. Jeff has helped me in so many ways since that first call. Whether it was discussing how best to talk to my children about our situation, setting up a support system for them both in school and in private counseling, or talking thru the various aspects of dealing with the justice system and what to expect before, during and after. In fact, it was Jeff who suggested that my wife and I should request staggered sentences which the judge’s approved. Since then we’ve talked about life in prison and starting over afterwards, maintaining a marriage while incarcerated, and forgiveness, just to name a few. I value Jeff’s advice because he always gives you a straight answer, you may not always like what he has to say but you can always count on it being true to his experience. And I have found that in the end this is most valuable. Like many people, I fear the unknown, and Jeff helped take away my fear by giving me knowledge. I was, and am, able to make better informed decisions because of it. I am also greatly relieved to know that Jeff and his ministry will be there for me when I am released from prison.” – Bill L., Oklahoma (currently serving in a Federal prison)
Please join us on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, 9 am ET, when David Garlock will be our guest on the Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy & Jeff Grant – The Voice of CT Criminal Justice. Live on WNHH 103.5 FM New Haven, rebroadcast at 5 pm. Live-streamed and podcast 24/7 everywhere, see below. Sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven – Now More Than Ever.
David L. Garlock is a successful returning citizen, reentry professional, and criminal justice reform advocate. David and his brother received 25-year sentences in Alabama after taking the life of their abuser. A client of Equal Justice Initiative, he was released on parole in 2013 after serving more than 13 years and pursuing several educational opportunities while incarcerated. He subsequently obtained his bachelor’s degree from Eastern University and is now the Lancaster Program Director for New Person Ministries, a reentry program for men who have committed sex offenses and other returning citizens. He is also Co-Chair of the Lancaster County Reentry Coalition; a member of the Pennsylvania Reentry Council, a statewide coalition of county reentry organizations; and a Healing Communities facilitator.
David is a member of the 2019 Just Leadership USA Leading with Conviction cohort, an intensive executive development program for leaders who have been previously incarcerated. He enjoys educating the next generation of criminal justice professionals on rehabilitation and advocating in various spheres for an effective and equitable justice system. He is a frequent speaker at colleges and universities, criminal and social justice conferences, and community events. David resides in Coatesville, PA with his wife, where they are dedicated to serving with their local church, Freedom Life. _________________
The Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy and Jeff Grant is broadcast live at 9 am ET on the first and third Friday of each month Sept. through June, from the WNHH 103.5 FM studios in New Haven. It is rebroadcast on WNHH at 5 pm ET the same day. Podcast and Archive available 24/7 everywhere.
Fri., Sept. 6, 2019: Khalil Cumberbatch, Chief Strategist at New Yorkers United for Justice Fri., Sept. 20, 2019: Aaron T. Kinzel, Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Fri., Oct. 4, 2019: Charlie Grady, Outreach Specialist for the FBI CT Community Outreach Program Fri., Oct. 18, 2019: Michael Kimelman, Former Hedge Funder and Author of Confessions of a Wall Street Insider: A Cautionary Tale of Rats, Feds, and Banksters Fri., Nov. 1, 2019: Corey Brinson, Former Attorney Convicted for a White Collar Crime who is running for Hartford City Council Fri., Nov. 15, 2019: Cathryn Lavery, Ph.D., Asst. Chair & Graduate Coordinator for the Iona College Criminal Justice Department Fri., Dec. 6, 2019: “Free Prison Phone Calls” Show, Guests to be Announced. Fri. Dec. 20, 2019: John Hamilton, CEO, Liberation Programs Fri., Jan. 17, 2019: Serena Ligouri, Executive Director, New Hour for Women & Children – L.I. Fri., Feb. 7, 2020: David Garlock, Program Director, New Person Ministries, Lancaster, PA
Season Two Guests:
Fri., Sept. 9, 2018: Kennard Ray, CT Unlock the Vote and Candidate for CT State Legislator Fri., Sept. 21, 2018: Louis L. Reed, National Organizer for #Cut50 Fri., Oct. 5, 2018: Sue Gunderman & Beth Hines, CT Reentry Roundtables Fri., Oct. 19, 2018: Venice Michalsen, Assoc. Professor of Justice Studies, Montclair State University Fri., Nov. 16, 2018: Andrew Clark, Director of the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy, Central Connecticut State University Fri., Dec. 7, 2018: Glenn E. Martin, Founder/Consultant of GEM Trainers and Past-President and Founder of JustLeadershipUSA Fri., Dec. 21, 2018: Fernando Muniz, CEO of Community Solutions, Inc., and community leader Rosa Correa. Fri., Jan. 4, 2019: New Years Retrospective Show Looking Back at Past CJI Guests. Fri. Jan. 18, 2019: Peter Henning, Law Prof. at Wayne State University and “White Collar Watch” columnist for the NY Times. Fri., Feb. 1, 2019: Jeffrey Deskovic, CEO of The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation who was Exonerated after Serving 16 Years in Prison Fri., Feb. 15, 2019: Jeffrey Abramowitz, Executive Director for Reentry Services, JEVS Human Services, Philadelphia. Fri., Mar. 1, 2019, Rollin Cook, CT Commissioner of Correction Fri., Mar. 15, 2019: Dieter Tejada, Justice Impacted Criminal Justice Advocate Fri., Apr. 5, 2019: John Rowland, Former CT Governor Fri., Apr. 19, 2019: Gregg D. Caruso, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Corning & Co-Director of the Justice Without Retribution Network at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland Fri., May 3, 2019: Michael Taylor, CEO of Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center in the Greater New Haven area Fri., May 17, 2019: Tarra Simmons, Esq., Attorney & Criminal Justice Reform Advocate, Washington State Fri., June 7, 2019: Louis L. Reed, National Organizer for #Cut50, Part Deux! Fri., June 21, 2019: Marcus Bullock, CEO of Flikshop
Sponsored by the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven – Now More Than Ever.
On Friday, Jan. 17, 2020, 9 am ET, Serena Liguori, Executive Director of New Hour for Women and Children – Long Island, was our guest on the Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy & Jeff Grant – The Voice of CT Criminal Justice. Live on WNHH 103.5 FM New Haven, rebroadcast at 5 pm. Live-streamed and podcast 24/7 everywhere, see below. Sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven – Now More Than Ever.
Serena Liguori, executive director for New Hour for Women and Children —LI, is responsible for all aspects of New Hour’s operations, fundraising and administration. Serena is a formerly incarcerated Latina and 18-year prisoner rights advocate. She is also responsible for nurturing partnerships with organizations and funders focused on social justice and legislative advocacy. She is also responsible for creating ways in which New Hour remains at the forefront of social justice initiatives locally and throughout New York State. Prior to joining the New Hour staff she was the executive director of Herstory Writers Workshop, a non-profit dedicated to providing writing workshops to underserved populations. Serena also served as associate director of policy at the Correctional Association of New York’s Women in Prison Project where she spearheaded legislative initiatives and policy advocacy addressing prison reform. She was the key organizer of a successful effort to create the Adoption and Safe Families Act Expanded Discretion Law, which works to secure parental rights for incarcerated parents as well as the Anti-Shackling Law, which prohibits the shackling of incarcerated mothers during labor and most recently the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, which allows survivor defendants to be sentenced more fairly. She earned her Associates degree at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility College Bound Program and holds a BA in Liberal Arts from Adelphi University. Serena enjoys cooking her favorite traditional Puerto Rican meals for her family.
Serena Liguori
Executive Director
New Hour for Women and Children LI
(O) 631-273-3300
(C) 631-672-7147 www.newhourli.org
_________________
The Criminal Justice Insider Podcast with Babz Rawls Ivy and Jeff Grant is broadcast live at 9 am ET on the first and third Friday of each month Sept.-June
From the WNHH 103.5 FM studios in New Haven. It is rebroadcast on WNHH at 5 pm ET the same day. Live-Streamed and Podcast available 24/7.
An article about each show is published a few days later in the New Haven Independent (newhavenindependent.org).
Season Three Program/Guests List (*formerly incarcerated):
Fri., Sept. 6, 2019: Khalil Cumberbatch*, Chief Strategist at New Yorkers United for Justice Fri., Sept. 20, 2019: Aaron T. Kinzel, Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Fri., Oct. 4, 2019: Charlie Grady, Outreach Specialist for the FBI CT Community Outreach Program Fri., Oct. 18, 2019: Michael Kimelman*, Former Hedge Funder and Author of Confessions of a Wall Street Insider: A Cautionary Tale of Rats, Feds, and Banksters Fri., Nov. 1, 2019: Corey Brinson*, Former Attorney Convicted for a White Collar Crime who is running for Hartford City Council Fri., Nov. 15, 2019: Cathryn Lavery, Ph.D., Asst. Chair & Graduate Coordinator for the Iona College Criminal Justice Department Fri., Dec. 6, 2019: “Free Prison Phone Calls” Show, CT Rep. Josh Elliott & Tiheba Bain Fri. Dec. 20, 2019: John Hamilton, CEO, Liberation Programs Fri., Jan. 3, 2020: Reginald Dwayne Betts*, Lawyer, Poet, Lecturer on Mass Incarceration Fri., Jan. 17, 2020: Serena Ligouri*, Executive Director, New Hour for Women & Children – L.I. Fri., Feb. 7, 2020: David Garlock*, Program Director, New Person Ministries, Lancaster, PA Fri.,
Feb. 20, 2020: Larry Levine*, Talk Show Host & Criminal Justice Consultant
Fri,. Mar. 6, 2020: Hans Hallundbaek, Interfaith Prison Partnership Fri., Mar. 20, 2020: Tiheba Bain*, Women’s Incarceration Advocate
