The Transformational Prison Project is—more than anything—its people. The team below can only do what they do because of the courage and intiative of those who have caused harm and those who have suffered harm, who are choosing to do this difficult work together.

​Armand Coleman

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

Armand has over eight years of experience developing and leading Restorative Justice (RJ) programming. He was introduced to RJ while incarcerated as a youthful offender. While incarcerated, Armand founded the Youthful Offender Coalition for those who committed their crime under age 18 and Men Exploring Their Own Obstacles which addresses toxic masculinity, rape culture, and sexism. In addition to being a lead facilitator and circle keeper at TPP, Armand leads restorative justice circles and mentor’s youth through Roxbury District Court's CHOICE Program. He is the Volunteer Development and Community Outreach Coordinator at Communities for Restorative Justice. He is a former coordinator for the Bridge Project at Everyday Boston, where he also volunteers. He is also a member of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Roundtable on Racial Disparities in Massachusetts Courts and facilitates circles for first year law students at Harvard Law School.

​Eric M. Anderson

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS 

Eric M. Anderson oversees TPP’s daily operations, communications and website, social media sites, office management, business pipeline, and co-develops programming. Eric is also a lead facilitator and circle keeper for TPP with over seven years of leadership experience with restorative justice. After 10 years in prison, Eric began to follow his passion for cooking, becoming the culinary supervisor for the Boston Convention Center, where he led a 10-person team. He volunteers with Community Servings at a facility that supports people living with HIV/AIDS and people living with difficult illnesses and diets. He volunteers and mentors young men through Roxbury District Court’s CHOICE Program, Everyday Boston  and  Communities for Restorative Justice where he is a fellow improving his professional and organizational skills while managing their events and training and offering his own skills and experience with restorative justice through public sharing and leading Restorative Justice Circles. He also partnered and gave presentations at Suffolk University, Boston University, Vermont school of Law, Boston College Law, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Law, Northeastern Law, Tufts University, and Utec. 

​Robert “Bobby” Iacoviello, Jr.

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH

MyTern: Tufts Prison Initiative of Tisch College ​MYRobert “Bobby” Iacoviello, Jr. helps foster relationships with community partners for TPP. As a lead facilitator and circle keeper, Bobby also co-facilitates delivers trauma-informed restorative justice curriculum to a multitude of populations. While incarcerated, Bobby spent five years serving as a co-coordinator for Project Youth, where he trained, coached, and mentored incarcerated youth in public speaking, storytelling, and facilitation. Bobby also led and facilitated restorative justice programming and worked as a clerk for Boston University’s Prison Education Program, while also enrolled in the program himself. Bobby is currently partners with Partakers and is a Fellow with Communities for Restorative Justice. He collaborates with several groups including Turn it Around Charlestown, Maverick Landing Community Services, Revere Cares and MyTern: Tufts Prison Initiative of Tisch College. He also partnered and gave presentations at Boston College Law, Boston University, Suffolk University, Vermont School of Law, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Law, Northeastern Law, Tufts University, and Utec. Bobby graduated from Boston University with his bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies.

​Emmanuel “Noble” Williams 

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING

Emmanuel “Noble'' Williams is responsible for TPP’s business pipeline, program management, developing programming and fundraising. Also, a lead facilitator and circle keeper for TPP, Noble brings over seven years of Restorative Justice Circle Keeper and facilitation experience. He has worked with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, students, law enforcement officials, attorneys, community members, and business professionals. Noble leads restorative justice circles, speaks publicly, volunteers, and mentors' youth through Communities for Restorative Justice, Everyday Boston, and Roxbury District Court’s CHOICE Program. Noble is a Teaching Assistant at Columbia University’s School of Social Work where he has been leading circles for the past four semesters. Noble Co-founded Men Exploring Their Own Obstacles, a curriculum that aims to address toxic masculinity, rape culture, and sexism within organizations, schools, institutions, and government.

Stacia Silvia, CFRE 

FUNDRAISING COUNSEL

Stacia offers her experience and leadership skills to TPP, has more than a decade of experience in non-profit fundraising, specializing in grants management, foundation relations, and development planning and operations. Through her career and her independent consultancy, Stacia has raised over $7M for incredible organizations in various fields including education/college access, higher education, human services, housing/homelessness, youth athletics, human trafficking, anti-poverty/basic needs, and disability services. Stacia is a Certified Fund Raising Executive. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a marketing concentration from Stonehill College. She is a 2017 graduate of the Institute for Nonprofit Practice with a nonprofit management and leadership certificate from Tufts University Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life.

Zoe Young

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT AND PROGRAM ASSOCIATE

Since moving from Canada in September of 2020, Zoe has obtained a Master of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Northeastern University. She now steps into the role of Program Associate with TPP, where she will support general operations and aid with project management.

Allison Williams

TPP ADVISOR

Allison is an actress and singer, and an advocate for criminal justice reform. She is a long-time volunteer and advisor to TPP.

John Forté 

TPP ADVISOR

John Forté, is a Grammy-nominated recording artist, filmmaker and activist. Forté received a Presidential commutation in 2008 after serving more than seven years of a 14-year prison sentence for a first-time, non-violent drug offense.

Jamal Spencer

TPP Fellow

Jamal not only comes from a place where he learned to mimic what he heard and saw but he grew up doing a lot which he believed were the ways of being accepted by his peers especially the men he idolized. This led to so much pain and strife as well as the all-too-common thread of abuse which way too many of our young people are suffering today. Jamal equipped himself with the so-called, ’Jewels’’ of his older peers while searching to find his place in circles where survival causes one to abandon one’s true sense of self.
​No longer was school and homelife of interest. Eventually, the street life would cause him to spiral out of control straight to prison.
In prison serving a life sentence, Jamal would develop his love for community engagement. His skill set now enables him to reach countless lives. Today, Jamal is now a firm believer of RJ and Transformational Prison Project. He now dedicates his life to healing those traumatized.

Terri-Anne Henry ​

TPP Fellow

Viengsamay ChaleunPhong

TPP Fellow

Viengsamay is 42 years old and came to America as an infant. During his journey here, his parents went through many hardships to make sure that they can create a better life for him. Understanding that his parents struggled to provide him with a better future, Viengsamay began changing his life around after many years of poor choices due to his involvement with using drugs and being involved with gangs.
Viengsamay began focusing on his self-work and started participating in circles. Circles are groups of people that sit in a circle and discuss personal feelings that can help individuals understand themselves much better. Viengsamay began to understand himself much better through these circles and became more mindful of the harm he created through his poor choices. He understood that he dealt with trauma and how that was a major part of his inflicting trauma on others. That is when Viengsamay began being part of the solution rather than the problem.
After many years of incarceration, Viengsamay got involved with youth work. He currently works for an organization called UTEC where he meets his young adults where they are at and show them a better life through economic success. He also began work with TPP where he is in the process of training, and also to understanding the role of a circle keeper. TPP is a great organization where he is beginning to learn the connection of Restorative Justice. Through his work with both these organizations, Viengsamay can begin his work as a person who is repairing the harm that he once created. He enjoys the work that he does because he knows that it is impacting something much bigger than himself.

Tim Deal

TPP Fellow

Tim Deal was introduced to Restorative Justice while incarcerated as a youthful offender, where he served almost 20 years and where he became a leader and influencer of change within the prison system. While serving his sentence, he was able to complete his High School Equivalency and received an IT Essentials Certification. Tim has always excelled in mathematics and became MCI Concord’s first tutor for the Department of Corrections where he was able to use his skills and intelligence to tutor his peers in pre-GED, GED, and pre-college classes. 
He was a founding member of the Youthful Offender Coalition while at MCI Norfolk and was also a Board Member of the African American Coalition Committee. He was the lead plaintiff against the Department of Corrections to allow youthful offenders more programming in minimum security placements. 
Since his release in July 2021 and experiencing the world for the first time as an adult, Tim has continued to progress in his personal and professional growth.  He is now working as a Loan Processor for Boston Realty Funding and has a paid fellowship with the Transformational Prison Project, where he continues to navigate his reentry, and is provided opportunities to tap into his passion of helping and healing others and advocating for reform to the systemic conditions that harm communities. 
 
 
 
 

​

Blandine Williams

TPP Fellow