About 3 Daughters and 1000 Sons

The 3 Daughters and 1000 Sons story began with a passion to relieve the devastation communities of color feel as a result of mass incarceration.  Our Executive Director, Sandra Kay Keely, was stunned in 1988 with the news that her only brother, Calvin Keeley, was being sentenced to 50 years in a Michigan State prison.

"48% of the approximately 206,000 individuals serving life and ‘virtual life’ sentences are African American, and 15% are Latino." (The Sentencing Project, 2018).

That began her journey down a path to impact the lives of the justice involved through advocacy that includes career and housing development, as well as court supervision.  We are a three-legged stool that supports Family Reunification, Neighborhood Revitalization, and  Economic Freedom. 

Blood Ties Bind and Community Ties, TOO!

Sandra has birthed three daughters: Briah, Tepra, and Kimberly.  The criminal justice system has jailed a tragic number of males in their age groups.  This in turn is a serious threat to our societal family structure.  In truth, we are all family; part of a vast human family.  We chose 1000 for the number of sons because of its numerical symbolism.  It holds significance in terms of spiritual connection and divine guidance.  It represents completeness; that of which attains perfection and fullness.  

3 Daughters and 1000 Sons ascribes to the statement made by the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

 “In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be...This is the inter-related structure of reality.”  

Our dedicated team of experts and advocates work tirelessly to promote fairness, equality, and rehabilitation. Through research, education, and advocacy, we aim to shape policies and practices that ensure a more just and compassionate society for all. Join us in our mission to transform the criminal justice system and build a brighter future.