Colie “Shaka” Long

Shaka was convicted of a violent offense at the age of 18 and sentenced to life without parole in 1998. He is a beneficiary of the D.C. Second Look Act signed into law in 2022. After serving over 26 years in prison, he was released in July 2022. Shaka is a Program Associate for Georgetown’s Prison and Justice Initiative supporting program administration, returning citizens, and Prison Scholars at the D.C. jail.  He is also a published author, consultant, speaker, and criminal justice reform advocate.  He has served as a Justice Reform Fellow at the Families Against Mandatory Minimums Foundation. He is also the subject of the documentary “District of Second Chances” which tells the story of DC’s Second Look legislation. His writings have appeared in academic journals such as the NYU Review of Social Change and the Harvard Educational Review. Shaka is passionate about meditation, advocating for and facilitating guided meditation groups in the DC Department of Corrections. He is committed to excelling as an agent for change in his work with at-risk youth in underserved communities in the District. He is currently pursuing his degree at Georgetown University.