NEXT LEVEL
EMPOWERMENT
Established in October 2022, Jackie James-Boyd and Ray Boyd created the Next Level Empowerment Program, a non-profit organization providing services to returning citizens and their families. Next Level is pioneering a full-service organization offering the formerly incarcerated and their families proper resources, support, and services. Next Level is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in Connecticut.
LEARN ABOUT
OUR VALUES
At Next Level Empowerment Program Inc, our core values guide every decision and action we take. We are committed to empowerment, resilience, and community transformation. Through our Next Level Empowerment Program, we harness the potential of every individual, driving positive change in New Haven. With personalized, evidence-based approaches, we break barriers, uplift spirits, and create pathways to success. Together, we cultivate a culture of growth, compassion, and collective impact, making our city safer and stronger for generations to come.
OUR MISSION
To create a supportive community for returning citizens and their families through direct engagement and holistic social support.
Co-Founder
Ray Boyd
On November of 2021, Ray was released from the Connecticut Department of Correction. He was incarcerated at the age of 19 and served 30 years. During his incarceration, in 2015, Ray cofounded the Skills of Socialization (S.O.S.) program at the Osborn Correctional Institute, and in 2018 he cofounded the T.R.U.E. Reentry program at the Cheshire Correctional Institute. This innovative program was the subject of a segment that aired on 60 Minutes. In April of 2022, Ray was a presenter of Restorative Justice Practices at the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ) in Chicago, Illinois. Since his release, Ray has worked at Lewis Real Estate Services and Yale New Haven Health. He currently volunteers his time as a Board Member of CT Stop Solitary Confinement and advocates for second chances for offenders. Ray also volunteers his time with the United
States Department of Justice as a speaker with Project Safe Neighborhoods. Ray also lends his lived experience to Odyssey Impact as an Expert Contributor to the documentaries “Second Shot” by Andrew Michael Ellis and “All I See is My Future” by Nancy Dionne. The films are part of a National Campaign to bring awareness to social injustices here in America and abroad.
On November of 2021, Ray was released from the Connecticut Department of Correction. He was incarcerated at the age of 19 and served 30 years. During his incarceration, in 2015, Ray cofounded the Skills of Socialization (S.O.S.) program at the Osborn Correctional Institute, and in 2018 he cofounded the T.R.U.E. Reentry program at the Cheshire Correctional Institute. This innovative program was the subject of a segment that aired on 60 Minutes. In April of 2022, Ray was a presenter of Restorative Justice Practices at the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ) in Chicago, Illinois. Since his release, Ray has worked at Lewis Real Estate Services and Yale New Haven Health. He currently volunteers his time as a Board Member of CT Stop Solitary Confinement and advocates for second chances for offenders. Ray also volunteers his time with the United
States Department of Justice as a speaker with Project Safe Neighborhoods. Ray also lends his lived experience to Odyssey Impact as an Expert Contributor to the documentaries “Second Shot” by Andrew Michael Ellis and “All I See is My Future” by Nancy Dionne. The films are part of a National Campaign to bring awareness to social injustices here in America and abroad.
The Model Inmate: Mind Over Matter: How I Became the Model Inmate
“The Model Inmate”, written by Next Level Empowerment founder Ra’sun Allah, captures the essence of prison life through the voice of someone who has lived it continuously through different eras, administrations, and decades. To be given virtual life at the age of seventeen and not succumb to the many ills that have affected so many other children in similar situations, is a testament to one's will of self preservation.
This story will have you pondering, reflecting, shaking your head, and at times laughing as the author puts a comical spin on a dire situation. His thoughts are well put together in this book, painting a vivid picture of a reality that some are currently experiencing, about to experience, and some who have already experienced and survived to tell about it. The author gives you an insider's view of the highs and lows of his life; a boy, a savage, a Man, reborn to the True & Living.
Co-Founder
Jacqueline James-Boyd
Jacqueline was born and raised in New Haven’s Hill neighborhood and has dedicated herself to public service in her hometown. After earning a master’s degree in social work, she returned to New Haven to serve on the city’s Board of Alders for over ten years, and has worked as a campaign manager, social worker, and public health contractor. Jackie is dedicated to improving public health and wellness in her community and sees the work of Next Level as a critical step to building a healthier New Haven.
