Julian Castillo

Julian Castillo has been incarcerated for 25 years — more than half of his life — for two counts of Murder, committed when he was just 16 years old. Now 42, Julian has dedicated his life to honoring the victims of his crime by leading community efforts that raise awareness of youth gun violence. He is the co-founder of Voices from Within, a multi-media education initiative that addresses the epidemic of gun violence directly through the voices and story-telling of incarcerated people.

Julian is a loving husband, devoted father, transformative community leader, and aspiring professor. While incarcerated, he received his GED, Bachelors in Behavioral Sciences from Mercy College, and Masters of Professional Studies from The New York Theological Seminary. He spent several years mentoring young people in the community as a facilitator with the Youth Assistance Program. Currently, Julian works with the visually impaired and deaf community, while taking American Sign Language (ASL) classes and teaching his own classes on deaf culture. He is an active participant in Rehabilitation Through the Arts and the Treasurer of the Woodbourne Correctional Facility’s Muslim community. Julian’s commitment to transformation is extensive — he submitted a 237-page clemency application in December 2018, which includes letters of support from Sing Sing Correctional Facility Superintendent Michael Capra and New York Secretary of State, Rossana Rosado. Julian reflects, “I dream every day of the ways in which I can continue to use the skills I have gained to positively reach communities on the outside.” To hear more from Julian, you can watch his Voices from Within story, here: http://www.voicesfromwithin.org/julian-castro.html