My wife Beverly Parenti and I launched The Last Mile (TLM) program in San Quentin State Prison in 2010, leveraging our extensive network in the technology business community to help bridge the gap between the penal system and the local business sector. We are using current technologies, video content and social media resources to build programs, and evangelize solutions to address the fiscal fractures we are facing with the cost of incarceration and the high recidivism rates across the country. TLM is currently in 5 prisons in California (including 2 women’s prisons), with the goal of creating a template that can be replicated across America. Recently we launched the first web development shop inside a US prison called TLM Works, in San Quentin. Companies can now outsource web development work to San Quentin, as an alternative to outsourcing overseas. www.thelastmile.org

Aly Tamboura graduated from The Last Mile entrepreneurship and coding programs, and he recently became a returned citizens. Aly exemplifies the belief that with hard work and dedication, it is possible to get a second chance at life, and leverage the opportunities that are presented to you. He even got to meet Mark Zuckerberg, while he was in San Quentin.

How did you get involved with The Last Mile?

Aly: I was an inmate at San Quentin State Prison when The Last Mile advertised an entrepreneurship program in the housing units. I was immediately interested and applied. I was accepted and went on to form a business idea, write a comprehensive business plan (with both a technology and social cause) and pitch the idea to the business community who were invited into the prison for Demo Day. It was an amazing experience, nothing like anything I’ve ever done inside or outside of prison.

After Demo Day, I helped mentor the next cohort of Last Mile participants. Soon after they announced that they were starting a computer coding class, which I also applied for. I got in and excelled. I am the first graduate of Code 7370 to be released. I believe I am the first man in California to learn to code in prison and have job opportunities offered to me while still inside. No doubt my coding skills have been instrumental to my reintegration back into the employment field and into my community.

What has your experience been like? How has the process met, exceeded or fallen short of your expectations?

Aly: The experience has been immensely rewarding; my self-worth and confidence are in the stratosphere. I went from prison into tech. It has been a seamless transition back into the workforce. I have to say that it has exceeded my expectations. There are a lot of programs in San Quentin that promise a myriad of services to returning citizens. None that I know of have delivered more than what was promised, like the Last Mile has.

What has surprised you about the program?

Aly: The biggest surprise is the engagement and commitment from the business/Tech community. Technology and the people behind it have always been at the cutting edge of solving problems in our society. Now they, in partnership with The Last Mile, are solving the problem of high recidivism rates plaguing the prison system. Not one of TLM’s graduates have been sent back to prison, all of them are working and thriving. What does that say when California has a recidivism rate of more than 60 percent?

What has surprised you about yourself?

Aly: I am a usually shy person. I was, and at times still, terrified of public speaking. During the entrepreneurship class I had to stand up and pitch my business idea to an auditorium of business and tech investors and entrepreneurs. And these were not run of the mill business people, they are the people behind Silicon Valley and the internet. I spent days and days practicing so when I had to stand up at the podium and address the crowd I was prepared and confident. My ability to speak in front of a group of people is second nature now. I would have never of imagined that I could speak about my experience in prison to people on the outside and not be nervous. What is even more surprising is people listen to what I have to say and are engaged.

Very few minorities are employed in the tech industry (about 5 percent at FB and Google, I believe), and, as you know, America’s jails and prisons are filled with a disproportionate percentage of minorities. How do you think TLM might help to increase the tech percentage and decrease the incarceration rates among African Americans and Latinos, specifically?

Aly: The Last Mile is not the save all for raising the amount of minorities in Tech, but they are doing their part. With each graduating class of the Code 7370 program, there is a potential to chip away at the low percentages of minority workers in the tech industry. It is also crucial that the tech industry keep hiring our graduates. Employing one of TLM’s graduates when they return to the community not only raises the percentage of minorities in tech, it lowers the recidivism rate while improving the lives of the formerly incarcerated. The side effect of this process is less crime and less community victimization.

Which aspects of coding do you enjoy the most? Do you believe that learning to code is a skill that anyone can learn, or do you think people have to have a particular aptitude for numbers or logic, or … ?

Aly: Writing computer code is not a walk in the park, it takes a clear mind and lots of logic. Most people who are willing to put in a lot of study and hard work can learn to code. This being said, it is not for everyone. Some people struggle with the complexities of computer science and this is okay. I have met many computer coders who can’t change a tire on a car or cook a great meal but they might be the person who changes the world by building the next greatest application.

What has it been like learning to code with fellow inmates?

Aly: It was challenging at first. We were asked to work in pairs at the onset and everyone balked. Prison fosters individualism because it is hard to trust those around you. Learning to trust the guy sitting next to you was a byproduct of learning to code in prison. For me, I was finally able to let my guard down and open up to others around me, which in turn exposed me to different perspectives. This is crucial to solving problems while writing computer code. It is also a great skill for the workplace. The collaboration skills I learned while learning to code are what drives the tech industry: it’s not one idea that makes things great it is the combination of ideas that bring the best results .

What crime or crimes were you convicted of, and how long were you inside? Or, if you’re still inside, when are you scheduled to be released?

Aly: I was sentenced to 14 years, eight months in prison for assault with a firearm. I did a little over 12 years with time off for good behavior. I have been out three months and love my new life.

How do you intend to use what you learned in The Last Mile in the tech world?

Aly: I am and will continue to write computer code. I will also continue to learn. TLM launched me on an entire new trajectory in my life. Each day I work as a free man with the skills I learned inside seem miraculous. Some days I have to remind myself that I did the work and that no one handed this to me. Sure TLM gave me an opportunity, but it was me and my fellow students who seized upon it.

Overall, how would you describe your experience with The Last Mile?

Aly: It had been life changing. In the beginning of my incarceration my purpose changed from being a good father and provider, to one of survival. After I learned to survive in prison by navigating through the violence and depravation, I set out on a path of learning and self-discovery. Toward the end of my prison term, I had no purpose. What I mean is I did not know what I was going to do to make it in the world beyond the prison wall. The Last Mile gave me the ability to have a new purpose.