Erick Washington Biography:
Erick.Washington@KingsmenProject.org
(612) 226-6094

September 2016 – Present
Greater Minneapolis – St. Paul Area

Provide one-on-one mentoring to high-risk offenders to help them navigate the re-entry process, re-establish their community citizenship, and prevent recidivism.

Erick Washington; I was born in Minneapolis, MN, in July of 1962. My mother raised me with three brothers and two sisters. When I was 13, I met my father at Stillwater State Penitentiary. At the time, I did not know the effect of that visit or how it would impact my later life. I was introduced to drugs early in my life, affecting the core of my being. I started smoking marijuana, and it escalated to cocaine. The cocaine use led me to multiple drug treatment centers and eventually to prison. In 2009 I went to prison, where I spent 27 months on a First-Degree burglary charge; at the time, I knew my life would change. My life did change, and it changed for the better!  Life after prison has been incredible.  I have not used drugs or alcohol since my arrest in 2009. 

I started a men’s support group after my release in 2011, now known as the King’s Men; it has grown and evolved and continues today.

Also, I have been a mentor with the Minnesota Federal Reentry court for the past seven years. The mentoring continues to increase. I then started a non-profit called the Kingsmen Project; there, I help justice-impacted individuals navigate through Reentry court and supervised release to transition back into their communities.

When not working with other men released from prison, I work in construction as a union dump truck driver. I’m a homeowner and happily married to my wife, Tammi, and we care for my mother, who is 85. We live a peaceful life while helping others.