About us – remembermyprisoners.org

A Mission Born From Resilience, Compassion, and Purpose

Remember My Prisoners, Inc. was founded on the belief that no one should be defined by homelessness, incarceration, hardship, or the most difficult chapter of their life.

A Mission Born From Resilience, Compassion, and Purpose

Remember My Prisoners, Inc. was founded on the belief that no one should be defined by homelessness, incarceration, hardship, or the most difficult chapter of their life.

OUR FOUNDERS STORY

Tonia L. Lewis
Founder & Executive Director, Remember My Prisoners, Inc.

Tonia Lewis is the Founder and Executive Director of Remember My Prisoners, Inc., an organization dedicated to helping individuals experiencing homelessness and returning citizens to Restart, Renew, and Rebuild their lives.
Tonia brings a unique combination of lived experience, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and resilience to her leadership. Before founding Remember My Prisoners, she owned and operated several businesses in the DMV area, including staffing and property services companies. Her experience as an entrepreneur gave her firsthand knowledge of employment, workforce development, business operations, and the importance of economic independence.

In 2017, Tonia was convicted of federal financial-related offenses and sentenced to 50 months in federal prison. During her incarceration at Federal Prison Camp Alderson in West Virginia, she immersed herself in federal law, court procedures, and Bureau of Prisons policies. She began using that knowledge to help other incarcerated women research their cases, prepare pro se motions, and better understand and navigate the legal system. Her advocacy contributed to successful release efforts for women facing extraordinary circumstances, reinforcing her belief that access to information, advocacy, and support can change the course of a person’s life.
Tonia’s own experience with incarceration also gave her a deep understanding of the challenges people face both inside the justice system and upon returning home. She saw how barriers to housing, employment, healthcare, transportation, identification, and other basic resources can make rebuilding a life extraordinarily difficult—and how many of those same barriers affect individuals experiencing homelessness.
She founded Remember My Prisoners to help bridge those gaps and create a pathway toward stability, independence, and belonging. As Executive Director, Tonia draws on her entrepreneurial experience, knowledge of complex systems, advocacy skills, and lived experience to connect people with practical resources, opportunities, and support.
Her leadership and the organization’s mission are grounded in three principles:
RESTART — Creating the opportunity to begin again.
RENEW — Restoring hope, purpose, confidence, and possibility.
REBUILD — Creating a foundation for stability, independence, opportunity, and belonging.
Tonia believes that a person’s past should not determine the limits of their future—and that a second chance should mean more than starting over. It should include the support and opportunity to build something better.

OUR FOUNDER'S STORY

Tonia L. Lewis

Founder & Executive Director.

Tonia Lewis is the Founder and Executive Director of Remember My Prisoners, Inc., an organization dedicated to helping individuals experiencing homelessness and returning citizens to Restart, Renew, and Rebuild their lives. Tonia brings a unique combination of lived experience, entrepreneurship, advocacy, and resilience to her leadership. Before founding Remember My Prisoners, she owned and operated several businesses in the DMV area, including staffing and property services companies. Her experience as an entrepreneur gave her firsthand knowledge of employment, workforce development, business operations, and the importance of economic independence.

In 2017, Tonia was convicted of federal financial-related offenses and sentenced to 50 months in federal prison. During her incarceration at Federal Prison Camp Alderson in West Virginia, she immersed herself in federal law, court procedures, and Bureau of Prisons policies. She began using that knowledge to help other incarcerated women research their cases, prepare pro se motions, and better understand and navigate the legal system. Her advocacy contributed to successful release efforts for women facing extraordinary circumstances, reinforcing her belief that access to information, advocacy, and support can change the course of a person’s life.

Tonia’s own experience with incarceration also gave her a deep understanding of the challenges people face both inside the justice system and upon returning home. She saw how barriers to housing, employment, healthcare, transportation, identification, and other basic resources can make rebuilding a life extraordinarily difficult—and how many of those same barriers affect individuals experiencing homelessness. She founded Remember My Prisoners to help bridge those gaps and create a pathway toward stability, independence, and belonging.

As Executive Director, Tonia draws on her entrepreneurial experience, knowledge of complex systems, advocacy skills, and lived experience to connect people with practical resources, opportunities, and support. Her leadership and the organization’s mission are grounded in three principles: RESTART — Creating the opportunity to begin again. RENEW — Restoring hope, purpose, confidence, and possibility. REBUILD — Creating a foundation for stability, independence, opportunity, and belonging. Tonia believes that a person’s past should not determine the limits of their future—and that a second chance should mean more than starting over. It should include the support and opportunity to build something better.