ORLANDO, FL — April 5, 2022 — The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is proud to announce that one of our staff members, Angel Sanchez, will take on a prestigious new role with the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Sanchez was a Legislative Analyst and led the organization’s Attorney Assistance Program. He also helped pass Amendment 4, which restored voting rights for 1.4 million people with felony convictions.  

Sanchez’s story is an example of what can happen when people are given a second chance. This ambitious law school graduate’s journey wasn’t easy; the Miami native spent much of his young adult life behind bars. He went from serving a 30-year sentence to earning a law degree at the University of Miami School of Law, graduating at the top of 10% of his class in 2020.

Sanchez has a wealth of knowledge and experience. During his time at FRRC, he worked on the National Covid-19 Commission & Criminal Justice expert panel alongside the U.S. Attorneys General Alberto Gonzales and Loretta Lynch, providing invaluable information to the final report, which led to several policy changes across the country.

Sanchez was also instrumental in contributing to FRRC’s Amicus Brief to the legal debate after the passage of Amendment 4. 

FRRC’s Executive Director, Desmond Meade, said Sanchez is the right person for the job. “We are proud of Angel’s new assignment with the Department of Justice. FRRC is developing returning citizen leaders to help other people that are directly impacted or formerly incarcerated, and ultimately our society as a whole.”

Sanchez’s work with the Department of Justice as a Second Chance Fellow will allow him to focus on restoring and enhancing access to education for people with criminal convictions.

“As a formerly incarcerated individual, I am humbled and excited by the opportunity to serve as a Second Chance Fellow,” said Sanchez. “This fellowship will give me the opportunity—and responsibility—of centralizing the voices of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals to ensure that their experiences inform our work, and their insights illuminate blind spots and important areas we might have been neglecting.”

“Giving people a second chance is not only good for the individual but good for the community,” FRRC’s Deputy Director Neil Volz said, “Angel has enormous untapped potential and will be a valuable asset to the Department of Justice and to communities across the country.”