Formerly Incarcerated Leader Makes History: Florida DOC Residents Attend Public Resource Event Led by Return Leader Giovanni Sairras

Miami, FL, August 03, 2025 --(PR.com)-- In a powerful display of what full-circle reentry leadership truly looks like, RE Entry One Inc. cohosted the Freedom Lab Legal Clinic & Community Fair today — an unprecedented event that brought currently incarcerated residents from Miami North Work Release Center, under the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC), to a public event for direct access to reentry services before release.

The event, held at 4300 NW 12th Ave in Miami, connected attendees with sealing and expungement services, voter rights support, employment assistance, clothing giveaways, on-site food distribution, medical and mental health care, and family support services. What set this event apart is that it was co-led by Giovanni Sairras, a formerly incarcerated leader who served 17 years in prison and now stands as one of Florida’s most dynamic voices in reentry.

“This is what Return Leadership looks like,” said Sairras, Executive Director of RE Entry One Inc. “To build a bridge from incarceration to empowerment — and then have incarcerated individuals walk across that same bridge into hope, healing, and opportunity... That’s how we change the narrative.”

While this is not the first time Sairras has welcomed FDOC residents to a public event, it builds on the momentum of groundbreaking earlier initiatives — including Changing the Narrative (2024–2025), a panel discussion on second chances and prison reform featuring state and local elected officials, community leaders, and justice-impacted individuals. That event helped push public dialogue forward and resulted in affirmative steps toward removing barriers to reentry.

Additionally, through events like the Easter Egg Family Day for Children of Incarcerated Parents, Sairras has demonstrated how reentry leadership can support family reunification and emotional healing for justice-involved families.

This event may be the first of its kind in Florida — and potentially the United States — where a formerly incarcerated individual has built and led a nonprofit that partners directly with a correctional facility to bring current residents to a public, community-led resource event.

The Freedom Lab Legal Clinic & Community Fair was co-hosted in collaboration with The LOHM (Ladies of Hope Ministries) and The Florida Justice Center, with additional support from organizations including the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, OIC of South Florida, Citrus Health Network, The Jack Brewer Foundation, and others.

“This event shows what’s possible when we stop seeing returning citizens as a risk and start seeing them as leaders,” said Sairras. “This isn’t just reentry. This is redefinition.”