News  Probation and Court leaders shared their heartfelt and compelling life stories as plenary speakers at the Boston N.A.B.C.J Conference held on Valentine’s Day

Probation Commissioner Pamerson Ifill and Superior Court Associate Justice Serge Georges Jr. discussed their journeys to becoming the Probation and Court leaders they are today at the Boston Chapter of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (N.A.B.C.J) Conference held at the Edward Kennedy Institute in Boston on Valentine’s Day this past Friday.

Commissioner Ifill shared the story of his childhood in Barbados on a sugar plantation, the death of his mother when he was nine years old, surviving on his own, the abuse he suffered, and the trouble he got into until a police officer gave him a "second chance." Instead of arresting him, the officer took him to a boxing gym where he developed and became a championship boxer within six months.

This resulted in him traveling to the United States, first to Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) in North Carolina, and then to Brockton where he fought for the famed Petronelli Boxing Gym, where Middleweight Champion Marvin Hagler got his start. A back injury put a halt to Commissioner Ifill's boxing career and he began working with youth and eventually found a job as a Juvenile Probation Officer.

"As the Commissioner of Probation and having those kind of experiences, where poverty is a natural part of life, I work every day to ensure that we as a system and we as an organization find opportunities and access for people who are just like me," he said.

Justice Georges, who is of Haitian descent, spoke about his upbringing in Dorchester in a loving home where he and his two older sisters shared a bedroom until age 19. He told the audience that he struggled at first with speaking about the "concept of excellence" which he was asked to address.

"I don't want to give the image that I was playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers," he told the audience. "I find this concept difficult for me to discuss....Excellence can't be imposed on you, dictated to you. It can only be defined by you. Excellence should not leave out our fellow brothers and sisters.  Excellence isn't limited to certain categories or things. It's vast like all of you."

Jude David, Boston Chapter President and a Program Manager in the Massachusetts Probation Service's Training Unit, organized the conference with volunteer assistance from his Training Unit colleagues. More than 300 Probation, Criminal Justice professionals, and representatives from state, city, and national organizations who work with diverse populations attended.

The conference opened with a dance performance by Jean Sebastien Duvilaire from the JSD Dance School of Jamaica Plain who beckoned the attendees to follow him from the halls where they were congregating into the chambers where an awaiting trio of drummers played. The dance and drummers symbolized “answering the calls of the ancestors who will guide us back home, back to knowledge of self, back to unity,” according to Mr. Jude.

National NABCJ President Sherman Lea Jr. introduced Mr. David who did a presentation on “It’s Your Personality 101” and how different personalities affect the workplace.

"We will continue to make this community better. We know it needs reform. Who better to make the changes that we need then the professionals who work with these people who need our services everyday to make things better," said Mr. Lea.

Mr. David's presentation addressed the different personalities of employees and management styles of those who oversee departments and programs- including the director, actor, producer, and manager.

"It is up to you to continue personal development of that personality. You can blame the world for not being like you or you can understand that you can make changes around how you move in the world," said Mr. David.

He added, "Don't let people tell you where you belong. Don't let no one tell you what jobs you should be going for. Don't let people tell you what you should do. If you feel empowered, go ahead and do it."

Mr. David targeted millennials in his promotion of the event. However, the attendees ranged from members of the Baby Boomers generation to Gen X and Gen Z. Criminal Justice leaders such as Andrew Peck, Undersecretary of Criminal Justice at the Executive Office of Public Safety & Security; Angelo Gomez, Jr., Chief Parole Supervisor of Field Services; Cecely Reardon, Department of Youth Services Commissioner; attended the conference.

“This conference brought together different facets of the criminal justice and human services fields as well as local and national leaders to address the common issue of serving diverse communities and providing them with the best resources to meet their needs and help them change their trajectories,” said Mr. David.

The conference also featured a DJ who kept the audience engaged with a mix of Caribbean, Afrobeats, and popular music. Several vendors set up tables and there was a networking lunch where attendees caught up with colleagues, made new connections, and posed for selfies and group photos to capture the excitement of the day.

“This conference brought together different facets of the criminal justice and human services fields as well as local and national leaders to address the common issue of serving diverse communities and providing them with the best resources to meet their needs and help them change their trajectories,” said Mr. David.

DYS Commissioner Cecely Reardon introduced her staff, Katherine Perry-Lorentz and Dr. Nokuthula Sibanda of the JDAI Trauma Team presented on Racial Trauma and screened a documentary, titled “Seeing Red: Changing the Narrative,” on this topic.

A panel discussion, “The Heart of the City, A Racial Discussion on the State of Affairs of Black Boston,” featured a discussion by Boston's millennial leaders: Darlyne Ferguson, Mental Health Therapist and Spoken Word Poet; Greg Walton, Vice Chairman of Year Up United National Board and motivational speaker; Jodeliz Cora, Certified Spiritual and Life Skills Coach and published author; Tanyshia Graves, healthcare professional; and Chris Faison, Culinary Arts Teacher, Director, and Chef as well as Reentry Specialist.