Andrew carries many titles: husband, father, college graduate, advocate, and nonprofit leader. But it was not that long ago when he carried the label “juvenile lifer.”
In June 2016, Andrew became the first juvenile lifer in Louisiana to be paroled following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Miller and Montgomery decisions that prohibited the mandatory sentencing of children to life without parole. It was clear that he was not the same 15-year-old who went to prison in 1997. While incarcerated Andrew completed numerous programs and college courses, served as a leader in multiple prisoner organizations, and taught self-help and reentry classes.
He co-founded Louisiana Parole Project in August 2016 to provide advocacy and reentry support to men and women deserving of redemption. Under his leadership, the organization has expanded its scope to promote second chance hiring, offer direct legal representation, and provide housing opportunities to people coming home from prison. Andrew earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology from Louisiana State University and completed his Master of Criminology and Justice from Loyola University New Orleans, where he is now adjunct faculty. He is also a Galaxy Gives fellow and a Represent Justice Ambassador.