He Went From Prison to Politics. Now He Helps Others Get a Second Act.

While incarcerated in New York’s highest-security prisons, an individual named Eddie Gibbs found himself sharing a stage with the governor, a scenario he never imagined. Walking to the dais, Gibbs felt nervous yet adorned in a gray suit, striped tie, and pink handkerchief with custom Nike Air Force 1 sneakers. On the soles of his shoes, he had written his inmate number, recited daily during his three-year sentence. Gibbs, a 55-year-old Democratic assemblyman from East Harlem, recently passed a bill that mandates prison officials inform individuals being released that they have the right to vote. This law is deeply personal to Gibbs, who is the first formerly incarcerated male to serve in public office in New York. His advocacy highlights the ongoing political debate surrounding criminal justice reform. In a speech in June, Gibbs expressed feeling like a mere prop on the issue.