Tommy Shannon is a formerly incarcerated individual who has dedicated his life to making the transition back into society easier for those leaving incarceration. During his 10 years of incarceration Mr. Shannon earned his BA degree in Liberal Arts through the Moreau College Initiative, an Indiana college in prison program sponsored by Notre Dame University and Holy Cross College. Mr. Shannon graduated Magna Cum Laude. In addition to his BA degree Mr. Shannon also earned his Paralegal Certification through The Blackstone Career Institute.
Tommy's journey into reentry services came as a result of a conversation with Indiana Governor Mike Braun and former United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. During this exchange Mr. Shannon was asked, "What do you think about the programing in the Indiana Department of Corrections?" In this moment Mr. Shannon was bold and truthful as he replied, "They suck." When asked why, Mr. Shannon responded, "Because they all lack follow through, there is no continuation of services once a person is released. There needs to be a bridge program that guides people into freedom." As a result of this exchange Tommy began looking for ways to help the prison better serve its incarcerated population.
Mr. Shannon's first idea was to center around helping incarcerated individuals secure their General Education Diploma (GED) before they were released. At the time the prison had a wait list of over 1,500 people with a standard time of 6-12 months to complete the program. In response to this Mr. Shannon proposed a Fast Track GED program that would allow college students from the Moreau College Initiative to teach the individuals in the prison's general population the lessons they would need to pass the GED exam. Through Mr. Shannon's program individuals would be able to acquire their GED in three months. This idea was eventually implemented and funded by the prison and the Moreau College Initiative. In a greater effort to help returning citizens Mr. Shannon was also allowed to teach financial literacy classes to individuals who were six months or less from being released.
Since his release in 2023 Mr. Shannon has continued his battle to make the transition from incarceration to freedom as smooth as possible. He is currently a Certified Peer Support Specialist working in the Adult Probation Department where he specializes in alternatives to reincarceration. Mr. Shannon works with the probation population helping them attain employment, housing, educational, mental health, and substance addiction needs.
Life After Conviction is Mr. Shannon's effort to do more to ease the transition between incarceration and freedom. Mr. Shannon believes that success after incarceration is tied to helping the incarcerated individual understand three things: financial planning, civic responsibility, and that they are not alone on their journey.
