About Us

The ORGANIZATION

    Is a non-profit organization incorporated in Georgia since 1995 to implement crime prevention programs that address community reentry of incarcerated and released offenders. Uplifting People (UP) maximizes its capacity to achieve this purpose by forming collaborative partnerships. UP partners are faith-based organizations, governmental agencies, human service providers, non- profit organizations and individuals in Rockdale, Douglasville, Clayton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Henry that promote self-sufficiency, educational advancement, employment, housing and relapse prevention among their clientele. Free Polazzo is our co-founder and supporter.

• Kevin Wilkinson - Founder
• Jared McKinley –Vice Chair
• Jerome Maultsby-Board Chair 
• Roderick Price 
• Cynthia Belton 

Uplifting People, Inc

• Uplifting People, Inc. specifically focuses on high-risk offenders (sentenced under Senate Bill 440 & 441) because this group is identified as most likely to commit repetitive crimes in our neighborhoods and communities. Statistics show that the high-risk offender frequently returns to incarceration within two years of being released from a jail or correctional institution.

• Many times the high-risk offenders will commit several new crimes before they are arrested. Uplifting People’s programming is designed to rehabilitate this offender with the intent of both reducing and preventing subsequent incarcerations. We believe that by focusing on high-risk offenders, we can have the greatest impact on crime reduction in our communities and this is most cost effective.

• The high-risk offender reflects a repetitive cycle of criminal activity evolving around arrest, conviction, incarceration, release, return to criminal activity, arrest, conviction, etc…. This criminal behavior costs the State, communities, and its residents. Therefore UP seeks to empower offenders in braking the cycle of crime and incarcerations. 

Our Solution:

Giving the Offender the Capacity to be Law-abiding.

Our Community Safety Programs 

Guiding Offenders into Acceptable Living Standards (GOALS)

• Pre-release & Re-entry programs

Community Awareness Initiatives 

• Community grassroots acuities to involve & educate individuals on prison issues, prisoners returning home & needed resources

Program Membership 

• Organizational membership for individual who where incarcerated 

Community Reintegration Team (CRT) 

• Individuals and organizations that provide program services 

Reintegration Case Management

• GOALS program case workers 

Fellowship House

• Housing programs for individual release from incarceration 

Community Events / Mini Jobs Fair

• Crime prevention special events

Bring a Ray of Hope

• Employment, training & micro-enterprise for individuals who were incarcerated

• Being a Hero for uplifting people
• “Give a Fresh Start Campaign”

Program Supporters

• Free Polazzo - co-founder and supporter

• Georgia Department of Corrections

• Georgia Pardon and Paroles

• Smart

• Providence Baptist Church

• Concerned Black Clergy

• Workforce Development

• Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney

• Vernon Jones, C.E.O.

• New Start Resources, Inc., Environmental Justice Resource Center

• Cathedral at Chapel Hills 

• Deeper Dimensions

• Youth Development Center

• Macceo Moss

• Sir Ellison

• Clara Heard

• Mamye Everett

• Peggy Lieurance

• Retibliss Robinson

• David Dorsey

• Stella Clark

• Clarisse Lane

• Cheryl Plowden

• Art Gunn

• Danielle Ward

• James Brown

• Deon Winbush

• Thomas Adams

• Brenda Chee we

• Beverly Martin

• Cecile Lyles

• Marie Leslie

• Archie Freeman

• Mogens Jensen

• Eugene Herrington

• Gregory Walker

• Barbara Thomas

• Ron Brown

• Helen Brown

• Dwight Rallings

• Michelle Dawkins