Tyrone Walker

Tyrone met his first mentor during his first month of incarceration when he was 19. This mentor recognized Tyrone’s intellect and aptitude, and he empowered Tyrone to take the steps to overturn his initial sentence, shorten the time he would serve, and get his GED.

While incarcerated, Tyrone tutored other incarcerated men studying for their GEDs, and he took it upon himself to mentor young men in his facility. Recognized for his leadership abilities, he formally became a mentor in the Young Men Emerging Unit, a program in the D.C. Department of Correction’s Central Treatment Facility, which matched young men with mentors. Through this program, Tyrone and his peers mentored a group of 25 young men between the ages of 18-25. Upon being released after serving 25 years in prison, he completed the Georgetown University Pivot Program, during which he served as a Pivot Fellow with JPI. Through his fellowship and now as a full-time Associate at JPI he utilizes his experience, expertise and a passion for prison reform to advocate for change.

Tyrone also has translated his passion for coaching and mentoring into his work as a professional personal trainer instructor, which allowed him not only to help others in his facility toward their fitness goals, but to help them become personal trainers as well. Going forward, Tyrone has a passion for helping others reach their goals, and he also continues to love all things fitness. He has a particular interest in helping cancer survivors design exercise and nutrition plans to support their well-being and continued recovery. He also dreams of starting a weightlifting competition for at-risk youth, giving them training on clean eating and building strength. In his spare time, Tyrone is an avid Scrabble player. In his new life, he is enjoying spending time with his two children and three grandchildren, watching football, and reading the New York Times on Sundays.