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Keith Lewis remembers the first time he met Michael Vick. It was 2001 and Lewis was a 22-year-old party promoter. Vick was entering his rookie season as a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. Shortly after throwing a party for Vick, Lewis got in trouble with the law and was incarcerated for several years. Lewis, along with other sports fans, never thought that Vick would end up in the same predicament.
But according to a study done by the American Bar Association, black males have a 32 percent chance of being imprisoned during their lifetime. With those numbers in mind, Lewis decided to create Jump Right Association after he was released in 2006. Jump Right helps recently released prisoners adjust to life after jail. Lewis sat down with rolling out to discuss what Vick is facing and how Jump Right Association gives ex-offenders a second chance. –a.r.
Michael Vick was recently released from prison after serving a 23-month sentence. How do you think he is dealing with things from an emotional standpoint?
He’s going to have to deal with feeling bad. Your self-esteem is shot after prison. For Vick — being at the level that he was at — it may be even harder for him to bounce back. He has long way to climb. He has to stay with people who have his best interests [at heart]. Becoming a pro athlete puts you on another level. When you’re that young, you have access to a lot of things. Depending on who you’re with, their influence can help [you] or mess you up. At this point, Vick doesn’t have time for negativity.
Why did you establish the Jump Right Association?
Jump Right is a non-profit organization that I first thought about in 2002 when I was in the Clayton County jail. My best friend and I were locked up and I told me best friend and co-defendant that we have to get right. After I was released a couple of years later, I started the program and the company was incorporated. With support from several community leaders, we have been able to help ex-offenders re-enter into society.
How has the program helped ex-offenders?
We’re giving ex-offenders hope. I have a friend who was locked up and is now coming home from a 10-year bid after going in at 18. He did a lot of things when he was young and didn’t realize how serious things can be until the judge hit the gavel. He’s now home and he has not been around during the Google and Yahoo era. So he has to be re-entered. We have a 6-week program where we focus on accountability, values, goals, communication and the power of networking. We set goals and help ex-prisoners with action plans to restore confidence so they can live normal lives.
