INSIDE Study Community Partners
Arthur Bembury, Executive Director, Partakers
Arthur Bembury has been associated with Partakers for more than 20 years, first as a student in the Boston University PEP program, and subsequently as an employee. His business and prison experience make him uniquely qualified to interact with Massachusetts correctional institutions, the four universities providing degree programs, and the 400 mentors he oversees. Arthur is the 2019 recipient of the Noam Chomsky Award from the Justice Studies Association and is the co-founder of several residential treatment facilities for disadvantaged youths in Southern California. He also has an extensive history in commercial and residential real estate. His experience with the challenges facing marginalized populations drives his ambition to find practical and innovative solutions to reducing recidivism, changing lives, and strengthening communities. Arthur served on the Board of Directors of The Criminal Justice Policy Coalition for 8 years, is an Honorary Board Member with UU Mass Action, and is on the Advisory Board of The Petey Green Program. Arthur is a graduate of Boston University’s Questrom School of Business Non-Profit Management and Leadership Program and has been selected as a Transformational Leader by the Lenny Zakim Fund.
Leslie Credle, Founder, Justice 4 Housing
Leslie Credle was released from Federal Prison in 2018. Since release she has been on a mission to dismantle the carceral system and end incarceration for women and girls.
Sadly, while incarcerated, Leslie endured the loss of her beloved daughter, Brianna aka “Breezy” to gun violence. Turning her pain into purpose, utilizing her lived experience, Leslie has become a fierce prison abolitionist and social justice advocate.
You can find Leslie advocating for formerly incarcerated individuals and those with a criminal record to obtain sustainable equitable housing. Northeastern University Alumni and 2020 Cohort of Columbia University, Women Transcending Collective Leadership Institute, Leslie is someone to pay attention to. She is destined to be a leader in the movement to end incarceration of women and girls.
Debra Bennett-Austin, Executive Director, Change Comes Now
