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
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To create a supportive community for returning citizens and their families through direct engagement and holistic social support.
Founder/President
Ray Boyd
Ray was released from the Connecticut Department of Correction on November 15, 2021, after serving twenty-nine and a half years. While incarcerated, he co-founded two re-entry programs, the T.R.U.E. Program and the Skills of Socialization Program, which gained national and statewide recognition and authored The Model Inmate, a memoir published in 2020. Since his release, Ray has continued advocating for incarcerated and returning citizens. He currently works for Yale University Law and Racial Justice Center as Program Manager for New Visions for Public Safety. He has also spoken about his advocacy work at conferences in Miami, Florida, Chicago, Illinois, and Bridgeport, Connecticut.
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.
Founder/Executive Director
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.
