Our Team
The Authority of Lived Experience
Stopping the Incarceration Cycle Inc. was built from the inside out. Our board of directors is not comprised of detached academic theorists or corporate bureaucrats—we are a unified front of frontline leaders, exonerees, and community advocates who spent a collective century surviving inside the American justice system. Having navigated the deepest flaws of incarceration, the revolving door of recidivism, and the immense hurdles of coming home, we hold the ultimate authority and direct community trust required to deliver real solutions. Today, we turn our past struggles into a reliable, structured lifeline to provide Springfield youth, returning citizens, and families with a true path to independence.
Jose R Rios
President & FounderRay Rios is the foundational visionary and driving force behind Stopping the Incarceration Cycle Inc., serving as the organization’s President and Founder. The inspiration for STIC was born twelve years ago in a dark, hopeless place, where Ray received a profound calling to dedicate his life to systemic restoration. Fueled by his own direct experiences within the justice system and deeply moved by the resilience of countless individuals he met who were fiercely determined to change their lives, Ray set out to build a platform that could transform raw survival into a living blueprint for community healing.
As President, Ray orchestrates the overarching strategic growth, local government alliances, and vision of the organization. His primary, non-negotiable goal is to engineer a smoother, more dignified path for returning citizens, ensuring they receive immediate structural support and a direct pipeline toward healthy, lasting reunification with their loved ones, children, and friends. Under his leadership, STIC operates not as a detached bureaucratic agency, but as an active, urgent rescue mission run by frontline experts who understand the landscape of incarceration better than anyone else.
Ray delivers a vital, direct message to the Springfield community: the massive work of breaking generational recidivism cannot be achieved by the founders in isolation. He advocates tirelessly for cross-sector solidarity, calling upon local residents, business owners, and faith leaders to unite with STIC to stop the cycle that is actively destroying our neighborhoods. Through his enduring faith and lifetime of leadership, Ray proves that no space is too hopeless to cultivate new beginnings.
Jose claudio
Vice President
Jose Claudio is driven by a profound commitment to human dignity, community restoration, and the unyielding belief that lasting change is possible when we stand together. Witnessing the devastating toll that mass incarceration inflicts on families and neighborhoods across Springfield, Jose co-founded Stopping the Incarceration Cycle Inc. to replace lifelong rejection with real opportunity.
As Vice President, Jose focuses on bridging the gap between release and true stability. He actively spearheads the organization's resource network, connecting returning citizens with vital housing assistance, educational pathways, mentoring, and life-skills training. For Jose, true success goes far beyond merely avoiding re-arrest; it is about empowering individuals to discover their purpose, achieve total self-sufficiency, and successfully reconnect with their loved ones.
Jose challenges the Springfield community to look beyond past mistakes and choose hope over judgment. By advocating for local business alliances and comprehensive support systems, he is dedicated to building a safer, stronger city where future generations have the equal opportunity to thrive rather than enter the justice system.
"A city changes when ordinary people decide they will no longer walk past a neighbor's struggle as if it isn’t their own."
— The STIC Leadership Philosophy
Artem Vaskanyan
Secretary/Prison LiaisonArtem Vaskanyan serves as the vital organizational backbone and frontline advocate for Stopping the Incarceration Cycle Inc. in his dual role as Secretary and Prison Liaison. Driven by a deep-seated passion for helping others and a commitment to exposing the systemic flaws within the criminal justice system, Artem dedicates his focus to bridging the gap between life inside facilities and the community support systems waiting for individuals upon release.
As Prison Liaison, Artem leads the organization's critical outreach efforts, ensuring that individuals preparing to return home are connected to resources long before they step foot back into society. He firmly believes that by equipping formerly incarcerated individuals with an immediate, structured foundation, the organization can systematically lower recidivism rates, restore fractured families, and give whole neighborhoods a fair chance to improve their quality of life. His administrative and liaison work ensures that STIC’s operational pipeline remains seamless, secure, and deeply impactful.
Artem calls upon the Springfield community to drop isolated approaches and unite to confront local challenges. He believes a healthy neighborhood is one that stands together as a single, cohesive unit to solve existing systemic problems. Through his advocacy and coordination, Artem works every day to build a unified community front where collective action creates permanent, positive change.
Pedro VAlentin
Director of Special ProjectsPedro Valentin brings a profound depth of resilience, unmatched personal perspective, and a lifetime of hard-won wisdom to his role as Director of Special Projects for Stopping the Incarceration Cycle Inc. Incarcerated in his mid-20s, Pedro survived more than 30 years behind bars before reclaiming his freedom. During those three decades, he faced the immense challenge of learning how to parent from inside a prison wall—working tirelessly to ensure his guidance, love, and support could reach his children and family on the outside. This grueling personal experience forged his relentless hope in justice and his absolute conviction that strong, stable family connections are the ultimate key to dismantling the incarceration cycle for good.
Driven by a simple, powerful vow—to ensure that no individual returning home has to endure the isolation and lack of support that he went through—Pedro handles the development of STIC's innovative community initiatives. As Director of Special Projects, he focuses on designing comprehensive programs that support not just the returning citizen, but the entire family unit. He works to establish a trustworthy, reliable framework of care that provides individuals with an authentic opportunity to stabilize, heal, and achieve long-term success in life.
Pedro challenges the Springfield community to embrace a culture of shared responsibility and deep empathy. He firmly believes that a city truly transforms only when ordinary people make the conscious decision to stop walking past a neighbor's struggle as if it isn’t their own. Through his visionary leadership and strategic projects, Pedro turns three decades of survival into a powerful, living blueprint for community restoration and hope.
gilfrey gregory
Director of Case Management/Special AdvisorGilfrey Gregory brings profound personal insight, raw honesty, and critical strategic direction to Stopping the Incarceration Cycle Inc. as Special Advisor and Director of Case Management. His inspiration for joining the leadership team stems directly from his own lived experience navigating the revolving door of the justice system—a cycle he poignantly describes as "doing life on an installment plan." Having survived that grueling trap, Gilfrey recognized the stark deficit in real-time support for returning citizens and dedicated his life to fixing it.
Gilfrey firmly believes that the most effective remedy for systemic change must come directly from those who have survived the cycle themselves. In his role as Director of Case Management, he ensures that STIC's support pipelines are responsive, instantaneous, and grounded in reality. By overseeing the individual care plans for returning citizens, Gilfrey coordinates immediate, real-time resources to intercept the exact moments of vulnerability that lead to re-arrest, ensuring individuals have a practical roadmap to long-term stability.
Gilfrey reminds the Springfield community of the fundamental power of human connection and collective responsibility. He advocates tirelessly for neighborhood solidarity, emphasizing that a community's strength is defined by how well its members value and support one another. Through his advisory role and frontline management, Gilfrey transforms his past struggles into a reliable lifeline that guides others safely toward a fresh start.
Jermaine Hunter
Director of Outreach
Jermaine Hunter brings immense operational clarity, deep empathy, and a holistic understanding of re-entry to his role as Director of Operations for Stopping the Incarceration Cycle Inc. Driven by a mission to create sustainable opportunities for individuals rebuilding their lives, Jermaine knows firsthand that the justice system leaves behind far more than a criminal record—it leaves deep psychological trauma, fractured relationships, systemic employment barriers, and a severe deficit of resources.
In his role as Director of Operations, Jermaine handles the strategic orchestration of STIC’s core resource pipelines. His primary focus is ensuring that every individual coming home has immediate, uninterrupted access to meaningful workforce placement, dedicated mentorship, and an unyielding support network. For Jermaine, organizational success is never measured by mere metrics or personal achievement; it is measured entirely by lives transformed through restored human dignity and an authentic chance to build a better future from a stable foundation.
Jermaine offers a powerful piece of advice to the Springfield community: never define a human being by their worst mistake. He advocates tirelessly for local businesses and neighbors to open doors of opportunity for returning citizens, proving that when these individuals are given the structural support to succeed, the entire city collectively becomes safer, stronger, and more hopeful.
Luis Barrios
Director of CommunicationsLuis Barrios brings a sharp strategic focus, deep empathy, and an unyielding belief in community transformation to his role as Director of Communications for Stopping the Incarceration Cycle Inc. For Luis, the inspiration to join the leadership team stems from a clear recognition of how desperately Springfield needs specialized, real-time re-entry support. He views the founding of STIC not just as an essential milestone, but as a definitive, monumental step in the right direction for regional criminal justice reform.
As Director of Communications, Luis serves as the primary voice of the organization, managing its public narrative and ensuring its mission reaches donors, business partners, and resource seekers alike. His primary goal is to ensure that every individual returning home can clearly look at STIC's leadership and realize that long-term success is entirely possible. By amplifying the stories of the founders and the victories of their participants, Luis works to build a visible, bulletproof layer of community support that ensures individuals never have to falter.
Luis challenges the Springfield community to realize its own collective power. He strongly believes that everyday citizens and local business leaders possess the unique capability to act as the primary force that drives systemic change. Through his communication strategy and public advocacy, Luis inspires the city to look beyond past circumstances, unite around shared humanity, and ensure that all residents have a fair opportunity to live a life of dignity, stability, and purpose.
Victor Morales
Director of Youth ProgramsVictor Morales brings 28 years of deep personal survival, resilient lived experience, and unwavering dedication to his role as Director of Youth Programs. Having successfully navigated the profound challenges of returning to society after nearly three decades inside, Victor joined Stopping the Incarceration Cycle Inc. with a clear, urgent purpose: to ensure no other individual has to face the isolation of re-entry without a dedicated community standing beside them.
Victor’s primary mission is to break the cycle of mass incarceration before it can claim another generation. By driving STIC’s proactive prevention initiatives and hands-on youth mentorship circles, he provides local Springfield youth and returning citizens with the critical guidance, resources, housing placement support, and workforce training needed to establish long-term independence. Victor acts as a trusted guide, steering at-risk individuals toward positive paths and helping them transform into stable, law-abiding community anchors.
Victor challenges the Springfield community to invest deeply in people rather than detached bureaucratic programs. He strongly advocates that every local resident, business owner, and neighbor has an active role to play in public safety—whether through mentorship, offering employment, or simply extending human compassion. Through his leadership, Victor proves every day that small, purposeful actions create a lasting difference.