OUR TEAM

Free The Ballot! Incarcerated Voter Family Network is a multi-racial grassroots alliance fighting for equality and social justice for our communities which have been gripped by mass incarceration and poverty.

We are family members and friends of incarcerated people, people currently incarcerated in PA state prisons and county jails, and formerly incarcerated people who have come home to help build our communities.

While people in Pennsylvania who are currently incarcerated can’t vote our family members and friends on the outside of prisons walls, including those who were formerly incarcerated, can vote.

We mobilize inside and outside of prison walls to educate our people and build political power to both end mass incarceration and reallocate the wealth and power in society to meet human needs.

Staff

Tonya Bah, Executive Director

Tonya Bah (aka T-Bah) is the Executive Director of Free The Ballot. She is a native Philadelphian, a widow, the parent of autistic twins and a social justice strategist who has organized for years at the intersection of education, economics, health and mass incarceration.

As a graduate of Philly Public schools, T-Bah’s experience as an athlete, a hospitality worker, a database administrator and a strategist brings missing tools to the fight for freedom.

“My job is simple, as Executive Director of Free the Ballot, I focus communities’ electoral power of at the ballot box and in the streets in order to return ‘Power to the People’, and that includes Black and Brown people most impacted by greedy, racist and classist forces in society!

Kariymah McClary, Organizer

Kariymah McClary is an organizer with Free The Ballot based in Philadelphia. She is married to an individual serving life without parole at SCI Dallas. Kariymah holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and is presently pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice. She is also the former secretary of Reconstruction, Inc. and served as chair for Fight 4 Lifers. She was a founding member of the Coalition to Abolish Death by Incarceraton (CADBI). Kariymah actively takes part in educating others and organizing family members of the incarcerated to push for positive social change.

Ash Hagerty, Operations Specialist

Ash Hagerty is an operations specialist for Free the Ballot. She is a Montgomery county native, twin, back-packer, and life-long domestic worker. Her organizing has involved fighting pipelines, getting progressives elected to the PA state house, and organizing homecare workers, teachers, and healthcare workers. She believes abolition isn’t just about getting rid of prisons, but building a world centered around economic and racial justice, community, accountability and healing.  

Co-Founders

Robert ’Saleem’ Holbrook

Robert Saleem Holbrook (he/him) is a Philadelphia native who came home from prison in 2018 after spending over two decades incarcerated for an offense he was convicted of as a child offender. He is the Executive Director of the Abolitionist Law Center, a law project dedicated to ending race and class based discrimination in the criminal justice system and all forms of state violence. He is also a co-founder of the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration.

Sean Damon

Sean Damon is an organizer based in Philadelphia who was propelled into movements for justice and liberation from his experiences being a system involved young person. He has over twenty years of union, community and social movement organizing experience. He is the Organizing Director of the Amistad Law Project and co-founder of the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration.

Steering Committee

Lorraine Haw– Lorraine Haw (aka Mrs Dee Dee) is a leader in Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration and is also active with FAMM and other criminal justice reform organization fighting for a second chance. She lives in the Kensington section of Philadelphia and has a son serving death by incarceration at SCI-Smithfield

Marthea Brown– Marthea Brown is a leader in the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration and is also active with Freedom Side School. She is very active in her community in Southwest Philadelphia and has a brother serving death by incarceration at SCI-Phoenix.

Marcie Marra– Marcie Marra is a leader in the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration and is also an elected Democratic Committee Person in the First Ward. She is from South Philadelphia and has a brother serving death by incarceration at SCI-Chester

Kariymah McClary– In addition to serving as staff for Free The Ballot, Kariymah is an original and ongoing steering committee member for the organization.

Kris Henderson– Kris Henderson is a movement lawyer and organizer based in Philadelphia. They are the Executive Director of Amistad Law Project, a founding member of the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration and on the Board for Black Youth Project 100.

John Rowland– John Rowland is an organizer with Abolitionist Law Center where he focusses on developing statewide campaigns to build the power neccesary to win.

Nikki Grant– Nikki Grant is a movement lawyer and organizer based in Philadelphia. She is the Policy Director of Amistad Law Project, a founding member of the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration and on the faciliation team for the Alliance for a Just Philadelphia.

Robert ‘Saleem’ Holbrook– In addition to co-founding Free The Ballot, Robert Holbrook serves on the steering committee in an ongoing capacity.

Sean Damon– In addition to co-founding Free The Ballot, Sean Damon serves on the steering committee in an ongoing capacity.