Founded by
lived experience.

Swinks Laporte is an immigrant from Haiti whose family was given political asylum under the Clinton administration in the early 1990s. Growing up in Springfield, MA, he witnessed others get involved in gangs, illegal drug selling, and criminal activities. Over the course of years living in this area, he began to admire the street culture, which he noticed brought about money and notoriety. Eventually he joined the culture around him and became gang involved. This behavior led to a first-degree life sentence at the age of 17, which was later overturned in 2012. During his incarceration, he discovered that many young and older incarcerated people shared a similar story to his — and that the crimes they committed stemmed from a lack of finances. He enrolled in prison college courses that offered business administration and civic engagement certificates to better equip himself not to re-offend upon release. This passion for self-growth contributed to him becoming the co-founder of REBELS, committing to share his story so other young people don’t make the same mistakes. Since being paroled in 2023, he has worked extensively with at-risk youth, guiding them toward positive thinking and opportunities that help prevent entry into the criminal justice system.