RESTORATIVE JUSTICE FACILITATOR/ CIRCLE KEEPER
Kevin Keo is a seasoned Circle Keeper and vibrant community organizer and activist. He has been practicing Restorative Justice for seven years and brings the energy to the TPP team! Kevin is sunshine personified, moving through the world with a child-like sense of curiosity, wonder, and excitement that invites those around him to lean into joy with him. He can always be found laughing or joking, even when it’s at his own expense (ask him about Chicken Little). Kevin has a welcoming and authentic energy that naturally draws others in, allowing for deep and genuine connection with everyone he meets.
Kevin’s introduction to Restorative Justice was actually accidental. He recalls being incarcerated and being pressured to join the group, not realizing what he was signing up for. While at first he found the vulnerability of the practice to be foreign and uncomfortable, he soon discovered the power of talking about his feelings and experiences. “For the first time in my life, I had to label and name what I was going through. It was no longer a myth or a fairytale of the boogeyman- talking about it made it real. RJ taught me the power of naming things.”
Kevin’s exuberance and goofiness is beautifully complimented by his more serious and sentimental side. He has an insatiable hunger for knowledge and is a deep feeler, two traits that guide and center him in how he connects with the world around him. He is also a truth-teller, even when those truths are hard or uncomfortable. Kevin is a proud alum of Emerson College’s Prison Initiative (EPI), and graduated with his Bachelor's Degree in Media, Literature and Culture in 2022 while still incarcerated. Now that he is home, Kevin hopes to one day pursue graduate school and study public policy. Kevin is deeply passionate about political engagement, noting that “everything is political”, particularly for system-impacted populations who are often the most impacted by legislation yet the most underrepresented in decision making. He hopes to become increasingly involved in policy work and leverage his lived experience and expertise as a tool to help further legislation around legal system reform.
Kevin’s introduction to Restorative Justice was actually accidental. He recalls being incarcerated and being pressured to join the group, not realizing what he was signing up for. While at first he found the vulnerability of the practice to be foreign and uncomfortable, he soon discovered the power of talking about his feelings and experiences. “For the first time in my life, I had to label and name what I was going through. It was no longer a myth or a fairytale of the boogeyman- talking about it made it real. RJ taught me the power of naming things.”
Kevin’s exuberance and goofiness is beautifully complimented by his more serious and sentimental side. He has an insatiable hunger for knowledge and is a deep feeler, two traits that guide and center him in how he connects with the world around him. He is also a truth-teller, even when those truths are hard or uncomfortable. Kevin is a proud alum of Emerson College’s Prison Initiative (EPI), and graduated with his Bachelor's Degree in Media, Literature and Culture in 2022 while still incarcerated. Now that he is home, Kevin hopes to one day pursue graduate school and study public policy. Kevin is deeply passionate about political engagement, noting that “everything is political”, particularly for system-impacted populations who are often the most impacted by legislation yet the most underrepresented in decision making. He hopes to become increasingly involved in policy work and leverage his lived experience and expertise as a tool to help further legislation around legal system reform.