The 40 Strong story is still unfolding, but it is one of hope and the will of redemption. 40 Strong was founded in 2021 by Virginia D.O.C. prisoner Courtney Henson, "Free," with the help of co-founder Nairobi X. Free envisioned an organization that would provide much-needed information and desperately needed hope for the men and women of Virginia. With this in mind, Free imagined the first 40 members, and the story began its journey.

The first newsletter (an 18-page, magazine-style publication) was constructed and strategically planned by Free and Nairobi X. The cover featured George Floyd, reflecting the social and political moment at the time. The first issue was full of motivational poetry, important legal news, and other spirit-uplifting content. When that first newsletter reached Virginia D.O.C., it was a hit! The first 40 members put those around them on notice, and membership began to grow. Free decided to call the men and women of VADOC "members" because words like "offender" and "inmate" did not do the human being justice.

As membership began growing, the responsibility Free felt became increasingly evident. This was, in fact, not just a missing void—it was actually a plea for hope inside the riddled reality of prison.

To understand the need for hope, one would have to grasp the history of Virginia D.O.C. and the challenges it leaves to the spirit. Virginia abolished parole in 1995 under Governor George Allen, which left thousands languishing under harsh sentences. So, the need for hope is an understatement—this was about life and death. People were about to give up on life.

Eventually, Free decided it was more efficient to use JPay (a digital email system) to send the newsletters to the members. The impact of early volunteers like Angela, Ninenette, Ruth, Cydney, Shawn, and Chris was vital to 40 Strong's success. The motto of 40 Strong is, "We Lead with Love," and we are a results-based organization. With each monthly newsletter being sent out, countless names were requested to be added.

The newsletter began offering information on everything from parenting and financial literacy to health consciousness and understanding legislation. It was our goal not only to inspire through the newsletters but also to educate on all levels. Our commitment to our women members has been very important to us as well.

As we reached 1,000 members and then 2,000 members, we continued pushing the limits of possibility. We authored a poetry book titled 50 Dope Poems Book 2, where we showcased many of our members' poetry. We then partnered with InThrive Film Festival to highlight our members' art and poetry at George Washington University, the Richmond Convention Center, and Southside Community College.

We cannot tell you how proud our members were to have their work shown to the public. We have always strived as an organization to take our members' voices and talents beyond the prison fences and barbed wire.

In 2023, Kirsten, our then-Director of Education, brought College Guild to our members. The partnership with College Guild offered another platform for education and growth. We followed that up with life skills and cognitive thinking classes. We then provided a "Words from Inside" section on our website to let our members' day-to-day struggles and triumphs be heard. Our devoted team of volunteers has worked tirelessly, answering JPay messages and offering words of encouragement.

We have hosted countless events all across Virginia to challenge the lack of second chances, register voters, and endorse community enrichment. Our organization has been committed not only to educating families about the prison realities their loved ones are facing but also to comforting families as they carry that burden.

We take this work very seriously and realize that when a member of a family is missing, the whole family feels the loss. Now, with over 4,000 members, the responsibility of keeping families abreast and informed is more vital than ever.

When the Earned Sentence Credits law was reversed, we held rallies for the families who were in disbelief. When the families of our members wanted more say in the legislative process, we started hosting yearly General Assembly Days. We organized fundraisers for Virginia Victims of Crime, Toys for Tots, Push Faith House (Jarratt), and Housing Families First in Henrico. We not only want our members to become better people, but we also want them to give back to their communities. One of our biggest accomplishments is providing reentry resources and job placement leads to those being released.

When we started the Virginia D.O.C. Voting Block in 2022, we had no idea of the impact it would have on our members. In a huge rallying cry, our 4,000-plus members were instrumental in the November 4 election that saw Abigail Spanberger become Virginia's first female governor. Our members, from the Tidewater region to the west of Bristol, had their families show up and make their voices heard through voting. The dedication we have had to educating our members on the connection between the voting process and legislation has been well worth it.

We routinely receive heartfelt emails from our members that deeply touch our team. Although the 40 Strong story is still being told, we feel like we've done our part in giving hope and motivation to our members. We now let our members' voices be heard on our 40 Minutes with 40 podcasts.

We know there's so much more to do, and we look forward to the journey.

THE 40 STRONG TEAM