EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Michelle Daniel Jones, PhD. recently completed her doctoral degree in the American studies program at New York University.  Her dissertation focused on creative liberation strategies of incarcerated women and the Alabama Prison Arts and Education Project.  As an organizer, collaborator, and subject matter expert she creates opportunities to speak truth to power and serves in the development and operation of taskforces and initiatives to reduce harm and end mass incarceration. 

Andrea Ayietta started as a participant with RecycleForce in 2018 after a 10yr sentence to the Indiana Dept. of Corrections. Andrea is now the Job Developer for RecycleForce. This line of work became evident to her purpose as it has played an intricate part in her own rehabilitation! Helping others who resonate with her own personal experiences has been the most rewarding experience! Andrea believes every Justice involved individual is capable of being rehabilitated if they’re supported with resources. Andrea is currently continuing her studies in Human Services at Indiana Wesleyan University where she’ll most likely continue to serve her community in a philanthropic way, right where she feels she’s most needed!

Jessie Cobb-Dennard is an Partner Attorney at The Northside Law Firm in Westfield, Indiana with the sole focus of her practice being Family Law. In addition, she is a Guardian ad Litem and a Registered Domestic Relations Mediator. Jessie became a part of Constructing Our Future back in 2017 when her passion for reentry work was sparked by the closing of the IREF facility in Indianapolis. Her disappointment was quoted in an article published by the Indiana Lawyer, and founders of COF reached out to her to channel that affection to furthering their vision. In her personal life, Jessie enjoys spending time with her family and her dog, Abel, worshipping at Calvary Tabernacle, and obsessively watching The Young & The Restless.

Rheann Kelly received her B.A. in Business Management through Oakland City University in 2008. She also received certificates of completion in Culinary Arts and Cosmetology prior to achieving Department of Labor certification as an Animal Trainer. She is currently incarcerated and training service dogs through Indiana Canine Assistant Network while helping to develop Constructing Our Future, a program to allow women in prison to spend part of their sentences renovating abandoned houses in blighted neighborhoods, and working toward certification as a paralegal through Blackstone Career Institute.

Kacey Rucker Rudolph began her work with COF in 2017 during her last, of 8 incarcerations and her last pregnancy of 4 of those. This is why she now advocates so strongly for women/mothers transitioning from jails and prisons back to their communities.

As a formerly incarcerated mother/woman working daily to stay the course of positive re-entry while caring for her 6 children and herself, she has been dedicated to fighting for change where needed and helping to support and encourage other formerly incarcerated individuals with resources, information, and experience.

Kacey’s passion for housing stems from her own struggle with providing stable and safe housing for herself and her own children after being convicted of a felony(ies), as well as the opportunity she once had to work as a Leasing agent. While employed in this position she was able to see first hand how much it meant to children who were in an uncertain housing situation to feel safe knowing that they now have a place to call home with their mothers! These 2 instances, both, have fueled Kacey to not only work with COF but, she is currently working to build a property management and investment business in order to be able to offer stable and safe housing to those that are wanting and needing a home to safely relearn living life as a mother, daughter, sister, father, son, or brother after incarceration. It is Kacey’s hope to help the reentry process by providing affordable, safe, and stable homes to formerly incarcerated individuals within their communities.

Elected on his 36th birthday, Senator J.D. Ford represents Hoosiers of Senate District 29 which encompasses parts of Boone, Hamilton and Marion counties. Senator Ford’s interests turned to public service at an early age, largely due to the careers of his grandparents. His maternal grandfather was a city councilman and his paternal grandmother was a city auditor. Senator Ford is a son of truck driver and an assisted care facility administrator for the elderly.

Senator Ford was the first person in his family to go to college. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Criminal Justice from The University of Akron and earned a Master of Science in Education with an emphasis on Human Services from Purdue University. Senator Ford has spent much of his career in higher education, “paying it forward” from his own experience as a first-generation college graduate. He also has held numerous executive-level positions for non-profits located here in Central Indiana.

Senator Ford is the first member of the LGBTQ+ community ever elected to the Indiana General Assembly and is proud to represent millennials across the State of Indiana. In addition to his duties as a legislator, Senator Ford also been appointed to numerous advisory committees and task forces, including but not limited to:

The Medicaid Advisory Committee

Civics Task Force

Redistricting Commission

Jail Overcrowding Task Force (2019)

Distressed Unit Appeals Board (2019)

Senator Ford enjoys swimming, basketball, reading, traveling and spending time with friends and family. He is also a proud member of Theta Chi Fraternity and resides in Wayne Township with his dog, Stella.

Inspired by his mother’s work with the Indiana Women’s Prison and Indiana Canine Assistant Network, Parker Redelman has a passion for helping those in his community. In addition to Constructing our Future, he dedicates his time to The Patachou Foundation to help provide food for children around
Indianapolis.

Parker, a graduate of Wabash College (Crawfordsville, IN), currently works as a Sr. Financial Analyst for Eli Lilly’s Corporate Financial Planning team providing financial reporting, forecasting, and analysis to Lilly’s executive leadership. He also spends time leading Lilly’s summer internship for their finance function and mentoring young career professionals.

Outside or work, Parker is a dedicated triathlete and has completed races across a multitude of distances

Phyllis Newton
Phyllis Newton is a lifelong advocate for education, justice, and service. A dedicated prison educator and former public school teacher, Mrs. Newton has spent decades championing the rights and dignity of women impacted by incarceration. Her unwavering commitment to second chances has shaped the lives of countless individuals and inspired systemic change in her community.

A devoted member of Broadway United Methodist Church for over 50 years, she has held numerous leadership roles, including President of the United Methodist Women in Faith. Through that ministry, Mrs. Newton dedicated more than 30 years to serving women incarcerated at the Indiana Women’s Prison, offering spiritual guidance, support, and practical resources. Her work has been grounded in compassion, resilience, and a deep belief in the transformative power of love and opportunity.

Since 2017, she has served as a founding board member of Constructing Our Future, helping guide its mission and growth. Her servant leadership continues to leave a lasting impact on the organization, its residents, and the broader community.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CO - FOUNDER

Michelle Daniel Jones, PhD. recently completed her doctoral degree in the American studies program at New York University.  Her dissertation focused on creative liberation strategies of incarcerated women and the Alabama Prison Arts and Education Project.  As an organizer, collaborator, and subject matter expert she creates opportunities to speak truth to power and serves in the development and operation of taskforces and initiatives to reduce harm and end mass incarceration. 

E-MAIL MICHELLE

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Joshua Trotter, a talented individual hailing from Indianapolis, Indiana. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana State University, with a specialization in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Higher Education & Student Counseling from Indiana Wesleyan University.  As the son of religious/community leader, service to others within Indianapolis, has been a part of his life since he was a child. 

Aside from his academic pursuits, Joshua is a self-taught artist with an impressive portfolio of over 600 unique pieces of art. His journey as an artist began in 2009 when he crafted personalized artwork to honor his sister’s prestigious induction into Alpha Kappa Alpha. Since then, he has become renowned for his exquisite and intricately designed mirror pieces that beautifully showcase and pay tribute to the rich experiences within the Black Greek community. Additionally, Joshua creates custom wearable art, showcasing his versatility as an artist.

E-MAIL JOSHUA

HOUSING COORDINATOR

Kaiesha Turman is a devoted mother of six from Indianapolis, she brings a deep passion for empowering women. After overcoming personal challenges, she dedicated herself to volunteering, joining COF in 2023 to support events and donations. Once a recipient of community aid, she now gives back with purpose and compassion.

With certifications as a Nail Technician, in CPR, and Hazmat safety, Kaiesha is committed to mentoring women and proving that everyone deserves a second chance.

E-MAIL KAIESHA

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Michelle Daniel Jones is a sixth-year doctoral student in the American studies program at New York University.  Her dissertation focuses on creative liberation strategies of incarcerated women and the Alabama Prison Arts and Education Project.  As an organizer, collaborator, and subject matter expert she creates opportunities to speak truth to power and serves in the development and operation of taskforces and initiatives to reduce harm and end mass incarceration. 

“In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity.”

– Albert Einstein

Constructing Our Future started as a vision from a prison dorm room. I saw a problem, but more than that, I saw an opportunity. An opportunity to step outside of my norm and make a difference that affected more than myself. This vision led me to do what few in the history of the Department of Correction have ever done: Take an idea, present it in front of the state legislature, and become part of the development of a program that has the potential to change the face of re-entry. By the standards of prison, I wasn’t supposed to do any of this, but through determination, persistence, and lots of help from other women at the prison, I have been able to develop my vision and change not only my life but also the lives of women around me forever. Through the development of COF, I have acquired many skills that will help me be successful upon my release, skills that will help me become a positive team player in every venture that I pursue. More importantly, I think that through this project I have gained a confidence that I have never had before and the awareness that even through the hardest times there is an opportunity to embrace adversity, use it to help others, and apply it to make change.

At a time when I was my most vulnerable, new to prison, for an unpopular crime, I was embraced and cared for by women who, by society’s standards, were the worst of the worst. They were convicted of what the media called the most heinous crimes. Yet when I was cold, they clothed me. When I was hungry, they fed me. And when I was weak, they held me. I found women who truly wanted better, for themselves and their children, but lacked the skills and support to get them there. I often wondered why I was placed in their path and what I could do to help.

When Vanessa Thompson, a woman I had gotten to know over the years, asked me to be part of a group challenged with the mission to develop her vision and create a program that would help women to reenter society successfully, I couldn’t say no. We began toiling over U.S. housing policy, meeting with different members of community organizations, and discussing what might be the key components of a successful program. Our research supported our own inclinations: housing and employment are the biggest indicators of whether or not a woman will make it or go back to prison. We believed marrying these two concerns with intensive character building and therapeutic services would create the ultimate program. And thus COF was born.

COF has not only given me a way to give back and serve others, it has fostered a restored hope in what good work can one day be associated with my name. Working with COF has made me feel like I have value and worth, not in spite of where I’ve been, but because of where I’ve been. A little over ten years ago when I was arrested, I never could have imagined that I would one day be walking the halls of the Statehouse, meeting with policy makers and working on bills that will change laws. I am just one person, a felon and a failure, yet with COF I am able. Able to change. Able to serve. Able to affect change.

D’Antonette Burns is a scholar, public policy researcher and advocate on Indiana bills that impact incarcerated women.  She was incarcerated for 11 years where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies.  While incarcerated she also worked for five years as an Indiana Canine Assistant Network dog trainer, four years in the liturgical praise dance group “Lifted!”, a student and mentor on the Purposeful Living Unit Serve housing unit as well as a volunteer in the community.  D’Antonette brought her passion for education and community to the development of Constructing Our Future.

Today, she is proud mother of three children and the general manager of a popular restaurant in Indianapolis and continues to thrive after incarceration.  In line with her advocacy, D’Antonette makes it a point to give employment opportunities to formerly incarcerated people.  She makes it a point to give them chances that she did not receive when she was released and looks forward to supporting Constructing Our Future in the future.

Women are like abandoned houses in that we’re perceived as having no value. Our hope is that we can attain value in the community through our works. One woman, one project, one house at a time.

So much has changed while I’ve been incarcerated. I watch what is going on in the world, but I’ve remained disconnected, only seeing events on a screen. My routine rarely changes. For years I’ve been affected by the world, but not a participant within it. I am tethered only by family and connections I’ve developed within these confines. The decisions I made in my past have created this reality.

Now I make decisions that will create a better future for myself as well as others. Helping found COF allows the opportunity for restorative justice. It allows me to contribute positively to a community, where in my community I contributed negatively. It helps me to take pride in the community I’m helping to reconstruct. This is the beginning of a continuous personal mission to make the only amends I can.

Since being incarcerated, I’ve earned my associates and bachelor’s degrees, Department of Labor certification as an animal trainer, and various other certificates. I have completed many self-improvement groups and grown as an individual. But with that education all I’ve been able to do is plan for an unknown future. Working with COF is an opportunity to apply the education I’ve received in prison, contributing while still incarcerated, rather than waiting decades to apply myself. In my “free” time I’m also studying for ServSafe certification, pursuing a certification in Education for Ministries, and thanks to the support of my loving family, working towards a paralegal certification through a correspondence course.

I am a tree hugger. My manicurist makes that disapproving sucking noise through her teeth each time she scrapes out soil from beneath my nails, but I am unapologetic. Flowers and shade trees and plants spring from the soil and give us oxygen to breathe. Just as soil contains the building blocks of life, COF homes include the building blocks of family, neighborhoods, and community.

All of those empty houses, lonely for residents – other than mice and squirrels – sit abandoned on streets that once thrived with life. They remember backyard barbeques and sparklers on the 4th of July, children’s laughter floating on air while grandparents sit on front porch swings and talk about the good old days. With the Constructing Our Future team, I am helping to create good new days!

At 26 years old I’m one of the youngest and newest members of the group. I’m no Tim Allen but this is more than home improvement for me. The goal for me is to establish vital life skills and character values that will help not only me but also my family. Constructing Our Future strives both to fill a need for post-incarcerated women and to repair and revitalize neighborhoods. I don’t want to just change my future; I want to be an example for the women following in my footsteps and prove that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Constructing Our Future offers me a “money in mouth” opportunity to work towards the change that I envision for my future. It offers me a means to encourage, support, and witness incarcerated women become co-creators of their lives. Working with COF empowers me by providing meaningful work in achieving necessary change in the criminal justice system. Through Constructing Our Future, I am able to do all of this while housed inside a prison complex. It allows me to counteract some effects of having been convicted of a felony in the State of Indiana for myself and women that are defined by more than the felony conviction: women that have children; women that are fully capable of participating in their community; women that are typically marginalized from job access, home ownership and job training; and women that have multiple impediments to their successful reentry to society from prison.

One day I will be on the tail end of the criminal justice system, so my work affects my future opportunities. I am working towards the change I want to see in the world. Working with Constructing Our Future allows for the use of specific knowledge and insight from those directly affected by the criminal justice system and creates paths for women to reintegrate themselves and their families back into Indiana communities. The answers to the problems faced by hyper-incarceration are not abstract; they are logical, possible and accessible. It will take the collaboration of communities and resources to make those living within our communities raise their quality of life. Incarcerated and previously incarcerated persons are excitedly taking an active role in our reintegration to Indiana communities.

I slowly walked into a room filled with at least 10 women who were very advanced in areas that I hadn’t even discovered. I honestly didn’t even know what I was walking into; I just knew I was called for a purpose, or at least I hoped so. When I became incarcerated I thought my education ended. I actually thought that I was going to become dumb in prison. It’s funny now, but then it was absolutely horrifying. However, in that room full of women, slowly but surely all of our geniuses came together, and we began to construct our future. Constructing Our Future has revealed an avenue in my mind that the system told me was no longer possible. In Constructing Our Future, I have become part of a better cause here in prison. We are a symbol for the purposes of unity, responsibility, progress, and the change of the prison world.

I signed up for the public policy class because I wanted it to be known that a sentence does not define you and that incarceration does not have to confine your determination to accomplish your greater goal. I have applied that statement to life, and now I live it. I will be taking Constructing Our Future home with me and I plan to continue into the mentoring side of the program for younger women.

Christina was a founding member of Constructing Our Future at the Indiana Women’s Prison, where she was also the clerk in charge of the Higher Education Program.  Since 2018, she has been Director of Development for COF and is the principle architect of the large and very supportive network of post-incarcerated women in Indiana. In 2019, she was a fellow with Code for America, helping to create a re-entry app for people returning from prison in Indiana.  In 2019 – 20, she also served as a public policy advocate for incarcerated/formerly incarcerated women at the Indiana General Assembly and helped found and administer the education program at Putnam County Jail. In addition to her many activities, she is a student at DePauw University.