Wilson said he hopes more institutions and companies can be as welcoming as the ACLU was for him. “If society looked at us not as felons, but as humans, and gave us a second chance, (this country) would be in a better condition,” he said. English said he admires Wilson because he did not let a system define him. Instead, Wilson stayed true to his family’s confidence in him and he now living their dream and his own. Wilson’s family continues to inspire him, though one person in particular drives him to be the person he is today, he said. His greatest supporter was his grandmother, but she passed away just two weeks before he came home. Wilson said he knows she would be proud. “I want to continue to make her smile,” he said.
“Even though he doesn’t have those degrees, he has that lived experience that is absolutely precious,” Bankston added. “He carries the experience of so many other brothers within him. He carries my story.” Wilson was selected for the position out of 84 other applicants. English said he was chosen because he has connections to the decarceration community and thoroughly knows the prison system. “Being able to meet people where they are while not seeming judgmental or condescending are very important characteristics in a good organizer, and I think Sean has all of that in spades,” English said. As an organizer for ACLU’s Smart Justice campaign, Wilson’s long-term goal is to reduce the prison population by 50 percent by ending crimeless revocations and expanding the Earned Release Program (ERP). Crimeless revocations re-incarcerate those on extended supervision, parole or probation for minor rule violations. ERP provides inmates with drug treatment and the possibility for early release. Wilson has been working with organizations such as Just Leadership and Youth Justice Milwaukee to create a coalition to address these issues. Wilson said his own encounters with wardens and prison guards motivate him to expose the system of mass incarceration that disadvantages black and brown people. He said he believes the criminal justice system should actually help those who go through it and prepare them to re-enter society.
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