Cyntoia Brown-Long is a sex trafficking survivor and advocate for criminal justice reform. Arrested at the age of 16, Brown-Long was a juvenile sentenced as an adult to life in prison without the chance of parole for killing a man who solicited her for sex. Her trafficker was never arrested. While in prison she earned her GED, an associate and a bachelor’s degree, both with a 4.0 GPA, from Lipscomb University.

In recent years, Brown-Long’s story received unprecedented national and international support from social media advocates, pastors, and celebrities. She was released from prison in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 7, 2019, after serving 15 years, receiving a commuted sentence by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. 

The author of Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System and the subject of a documentary about her life, Brown-Long is passionate about shining a light on the injustices faced by women and children in American prisons. Brown-Long and her husband, Jaime, founded the Foundation for Justice, Freedom, and Mercy. In January 2020, the Vera Institute of Justice recognized Brown-Long as one of the Best of Justice Reform honorees.  She is also a 2020 Nominee for the NAACP Literary Image Award and has been featured as a guest columnist for The Washington Post. Brown-Long is a volunteer mentor to young girls through Epic Girl, a program in Nashville that empowers girls to reach their full potential through educational programs, mentoring, counseling, and community activities.

Eric and Elizabeth Gambrell

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