Sergio Hyland (he/him) is ALC’s parole justice advocate as well as a writer, speaker, and political organizer in Philadelphia. He spent nearly 21 years in state prison – over five of those years in solitary confinement. During his time in prison, he was mentored by former Black Panther and Black Liberation Army member, Russell Maroon Shoatz, whose mentorship politicized Sergio. As a result, Sergio began to write and speak publicly. Now, he has dozens of articles and essays in publication. In addition to his activism, he also maintained a regular correspondent position with Prison Radio – all while still incarcerated ( most of which was done in solitary confinement). Sergio has authored several articles on the importance of abolishing the “punishment clause” in the 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution. His work on this issue has been published in outlets including the San Francisco Bay View newspaper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and THE MOVEMENT magazine – the official publication of the Human Rights Coalition in Pennsylvania – where Sergio is also the editor-in-chief.