James Thomas
- PausePlay Today: “We feed about 500 families a week.”
- PausePlay Childhood: “Before I get shot again, I’m shooting first.”
- PausePlay Crime: “At 15 years old, I didn’t know the consequences of my actions.”
- PausePlay Turning Point: “I spent eight years in solitary confinement.”
James Thomas the director of Peer Lead Reentry Services at Nation Outside, where he conducts trauma-informed, peer-led reentry services. In addition, James is a Regional Connector for the National Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network, and the CEO/President of Rising Sun Ink, a nonprofit he founded to improve the quality of life in communities impacted by poverty and incarceration. Rising Sun Ink provides food to 500 families each week. James is a Commissioner on the Inkster Housing Commission, and a former director of Nation Outside Detroit Charter. He is a father figure, advisor, and mentor in his family and community.
In 1987, at 15 years old, James was prosecuted as an adult and convicted of murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. His personal transformation began while sitting in a solitary confinement cell, and he began to seek self-improvement opportunities. He says, “self-love, forgiveness, and critical thinking helped me identify and address the trauma in my own life and understand the trauma I caused others.”
He spent 31 years in prison and was paroled in 2017 following changes in state law in response to US Supreme Court rulings about children sentenced to life without parole.
James’ philosophy of leadership is that “leaders must lead with unconditional love and patience and serve others.”
