Alumni Laboratory
Our Alumni Laboratory is a bi-weekly gathering of ten of our alumni who were able to do this work while they were incarcerated and continue as lead teaching artists now that they are home. We created a “Laboratory” because we believe that our work is aligned with the spirit of science, in terms of developing visionary ideas, experimenting, failing, reassessing and trying again. This group is our Brain Trust and are paid as experts in the field. They meet to play with and scaffold our curricula and ensure the work we do is relevant and appropriate.
Major Bunton III
Major is an alumni Teaching Artist for Creative Acts and sits on the Advisory Board. As a Teaching Artist he goes back into the prisons he spent more than 28 years in to teach. He also oversees all curricula for Creative Acts programs and runs the Alumni Laboratory. On paroling from prison, Major co-founded a Reentry program in the community called Inglewood Wrapping Arms Around the Community. He also has his own fitness company, Major Workout.
Eric Rodriguez
Eric Rodriguez is the Education Assistant and Alumni with The Freedom to Choose Project which supports the transformation of individuals impacted by incarceration through compassionate experiential education. Eric is committed to empowering his community, improving overall well-being, behavior, and enhancing interpersonal skills. Eric is a Substance Use Disorder Certified Counselor (SUDCC) and developed his expertise through facilitating in Integrated Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs (ISUDT), Youth Diversion, Victim Impact, N/A and A/A, and participation in Victim Offender Education Group (VOEG), Victim Offender - Healing Other's Pain through Empathy (VO HOPE). He is a Teaching Artist and Alumni for Creative Acts in support of the power of the Arts, healing trauma, empowering community and supporting the voices of those impacted by incarceration.
Camilla Murrell
Camilla Murrell, also known as Cam, is a member of the Alumni Lab and a firm believer in doing the internal work to address generational trauma and breaking the cycle of dysfunction. She journals daily and recognizes the power of reflection. Nurturing the child within has been a pivotal pillar in Camilla’s healing journey. She served 12.5 years of a Life Sentence and has recently graduated with her Master’s in Social Work.
In addition, Cam works as a professional housing expert with the GATEWAYS Housing Program at Los Angeles South West College. She enjoys mentoring students and being of service in various communities. Cam is happily married to her childhood friend and soulmate and is a proud Grandmother. Cam enjoys relaxing at the beach and reading inspirational love stories.
Kenneth Hartman
Ken Hartman is a teaching artist, an advocate for increased access to programming, and a creative writer. He served 38 years in prison, and is now living a good life in the Los Angeles area.
Richard Richard
Richard served 43 1/2 years in prison and has been home for a little over 4 years. He is no longer on parole or any type of correctional supervision. He is employed in the reentry field as a case manager and loves working with Creative Acts in that he sees the work as revolutionary due to the vision of our collective group. We seek to engage our students to the extent we are not telling them what to do or how to think, instead we share who we are and invite them to share who they are and who they aspire to become. Our work is not a job for him, instead it is a way for him to give back to humanity and to help someone else reach their potential thus, adding to the collective universal consciousness.
Antonio Duran
Antonio Duran is a Teaching Artist at Creative Acts. He is a second generation Mexican-American, born in Santa Ana, CA, and raised by immigrant parents. At the age of 10 years old Antonio was in and out of the Youth Authority, until his 18th birthday then he was in and out of the county jail system. At the age of 28 Antonio committed a crime and was sentenced to 15 to life. He served 27 years in the California Prison System, and it was in the system that Antonio learned to read and write and became very interested in the arts. While he was in the prison system he was also part of a mentorship type program called Y.A.A.P (Youth Adult Awareness Program). Since his release he has been able to outreach to various other groups and has maintained a relationship with those he has mentored and has also been able to share his love and expression of the arts with those systems impacted.
Remi King
Remi served in 26 years prison and was released in May 2022. While he was incarcerated, he was a qualified Self-Help facilitator, a Clerk for Food Services and a Teacher’s Assistant. He has an Associates Degree in Social Sciences and is a certified Greek Professor. Since he’s been home he has joined the Alumni Lab and is looking forward to being a Teaching Artist. Remi is working as a Sous Chef at a Soul Food Restaurant and has started his own clothing line. He wants to give back by dedicating his life to social and justice reform.
Star Van Pool
Star is a single mother of a toddler and works full time as a Community Health Worker. She served 17 years on a 15-Life sentence and has turned her life around. While incarcerated, she obtained her Associates Degree in Business, Certified as a Mentor in Conflict Resolution, a Beyond Trauma Facilitator and Dog Trainer to name a few. She hopes to help people from making the same mistakes she did, and that the past does not define them.
Misti Hassan
Misti is passionate about mental illness advocacy and decarceration. The arts have provided a therapeutic canvas for Misti. She seeks to extend that same healing, transformative space to others. After being incarcerated for 9 years, Misti graduated Summa cum laude from USC with her Masters of Science in Criminal Justice. She aspires to do research to influence policy change.
Dawn Garcia
Dawn was born and raised in Los Angeles California. Her childhood was not always ideal and she was often immersed into a negative environment. She gave birth to my first child when she was 14 years old and her second child while still in high school . Despite her early pregnancy she chose to continue with her education and was able to graduate with two children. Subsequent to her graduation, she began running with the wrong crowd. Through those associations she was introduced to hard drugs and her life unraveled dramatically. She engaged in unhealthy relationships and participated in unsafe behaviors, which led to incarceration. Through these difficult life lessons, Dawn learned so much about herself. She made the decision to alter the trajectory of her life. Dawn’s life’s passion is to initiate healing to individuals who have faced similar traumatic experiences and obstacles much like her own. Her experience has lead her on a spiritual journey that has helped her heal and find her purpose in life.
Vik Chopra
Vik Chopra is a filmmaker, writer, actor and all-around creative on a quest to change the world through storytelling, particularly through the lens of the queer community and those that have experienced the American carceral system. He has worked for PBS and KEXP, and today is the co-founder and chief creative officer of Unincarcerated Productions. Vik uses his experience of being formerly incarcerated and an addict in recovery with over 11 years of sobriety to tell stories that shift the societal narrative around addiction and incarceration.
He has directed and produced two documentary short films and is working on a feature length documentary with the Harlem Globetrotters. He is also a content creator for JoySauce.com, a new entertainment platform for American Asians showcasing newly developed dramatic shows, reality TV, written editorial, podcasts, and curated third party content. He is the 1st Assistant Director and Co-Editor for JoySauce Late Night, the first ever Talk and Variety Show for the AAPI community, and along with his cousin Sundeep Singh Boparai (@kingsunnyb), Vik hosts the video podcast South Gaysian Boys, Hot Takes with Vik & Juju, and is a contributing writer to the JoySauce platform.
When he's not out fighting the system, he's usually spending too much time in the gym or listening to Britney Spears.
Pamela Thompson
Pamela Thompson's life story is one of resilience, growth, and a profound commitment to making a positive impact. Having served 24 years in prison, she experienced firsthand the challenges and obstacles that come with incarceration. However, it was during this time that Pamela embarked on a transformative journey of self-discovery and personal development.
Through active participation in various self-help groups, Pamela gained invaluable insights into her own lifestyle choices and the factors that led her down the wrong path. These experiences became a turning point in her life, igniting a deep desire to help others avoid similar mistakes and find a path to a better future.
Driven by her own experiences, Pamela became a dedicated facilitator, working tirelessly to support individuals in their reentry journey after incarceration. Her personal journey of growth and resilience enables her to connect with others who face similar challenges, providing them with guidance, empathy, and the tools they need to navigate the complexities of reintegrating into society.
Pamela Thompson's life's work embodies the power of transformation and the potential for redemption. Her dedication to helping others reenter society after incarceration reflects her unwavering belief in second chances and her relentless pursuit of a more inclusive and compassionate society.