FOUNDER

Sean “2ruTh7” Evelyn is a Massachusetts-based poet, writer, restorative justice practitioner, and social justice advocate. At 20 years old, he was arrested and subsequently sentenced to life in prison. Over the next several years, Evelyn honed his abilities as a writer and performer and got involved in several social justice initiatives in, and outside of prison. In 2016, he founded EXPLANATIONS FROM EXILE — a storytelling project focused on the interconnection between urban trauma, violence, and the devastating impact that incarceration has had on communities of color. 

 

In 2020, 2ruTh7 received a BLS (Bachelor in Liberal Studies) from Boston University through its Prisons Education Program. That same year he conducted a study at a Massachusetts prison, shedding light on the systemic issues that contribute to the overcharging and over-sentencing of Black and Brown defendants accused of violent infractions. The data from that study contributed in-part to a legislative report examining structural racism in the Department of Corrections (D.O.C.) and the parole process in Massachusetts.

 

Since his release on parole in the fall of 2022, 2ruTh7 presented at the 12th National Conference on Higher Education in Prison and has contributed as one of the principal collaborators in an upcoming music-theater production, THE SLAYING OF INNOCENCE — a Beth Morrison Projects production, set to make its world premiere in 2024. Currently, 2ruTh7 is collaborating with The Racism-based Violence Injury & Prevention Lab on a research project exploring the specific relationship between trauma, racism, and their impact on urban communities, mental health, and mass incarceration. In addition to his work with E.F.E., 2ruTh7 serves returning citizens in the Merrimack Valley as the Director of Community Accountability and Strategic Development at THRIVE Communities in Lowell. Evelyn will be releasing his debut spoken word mixtape, “ARS MORIENDI: Ruminations of a Rogue Prophet” this year.