“Love is a choice. It is one I consciously make every day despite my deeply traumatic past. Every single day of my life, love saves me.”

As Artie Gonzales spent 21-years of a Life sentence in the California prison system, he evolved past the brutality of his surroundings and the highly political stature he held as a gang leader, and committed himself to rehabilitation and non-violence.

Released as a model prisoner by the Board of Parole Hearings in 2015, he dedicated himself to building a new life. Applying the same acumen and intelligence that helped him survive the inhumane conditions of our prison system, he has become a leader in his community, an advocate for legislative reforms, and a member of several social justice organizations.

After graduating from a Hollywood-oriented workforce development program, ManifestWorks, he rose through the ranks from production assistant to writer, producer, and author of “The Unseen Shackles.” He is the Creator and Executive Producer of the anticipated series, “Lessons From A Lifer,” and seeks to create a fresh narrative around the system-impacted and society.