Hand2Heart DC exists to ensure that justice involvement does not define a person’s economic future. We expand workforce mobility, strengthen reentry pathways, and partner with employers to transform second chance hiring into a competitive advantage.
Dr. Amy Lopez has over 35 years’ experience in the provision of college and career-readiness instruction and opportunities to students in the public school, correctional education, and post-release program settings. Dr. Lopez began her career as a public-school teacher and then administrator in Texas, then found her way into correctional education as the Superintendent of Education for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. She was later recruited to initiate education reforms for individuals in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Dr. Lopez was an Obama-era appointee, selected to build a school district within the Federal Bureau of Prisons. As a mayoral appointee, Dr. Lopez then served as the Deputy Director of College and Career Readiness for the DC Department of Corrections where she designed and implemented innovative academic and workforce development programs for incarcerated students and a post-release employment program for justice-involved individuals returning to the community. In 2025, Dr. Lopez was appointed by MD Governor Wes Moore to serve as Vice Chair of Maryland’s Juvenile Services Education Program board. She is a graduate of Texas Tech University, earned her M.Ed. from Lubbock Christian University, and her doctoral degree from Sam Houston State University. She currently performs consulting services for correctional systems, organizations, and universities providing and/or building workforce development programs for incarcerated individuals and returning citizens as the Chief Executive Officer of Past the Edges Consulting LLC
Paul Taylor is a native Washingtonian. He was born and raised in the Southwest quadrant of the District. He attended Syphax, Amidon, Anthony Bowen Elementary, Jefferson Jr. High and Wilson High School. He has worked at the DC Department of Correction under the College and Career Readiness Division as a Program Specialist where he spearheaded a Cognitive Thinking Course called “Thinking for a Change.” At the DC DOC, Paul had his footprint in all aspects of the agency from recruiting, inspiring, mentoring, enlightening and encouraging residents about the importance of taking advantage of the innovative programs being offered at the Jail. During FY18, 11,000 inmates were served by the programs in Paul’s division. Before joining the DC DOC, Paul was the Site-Lead at King Greenleaf Recreation Center which he helped to transform into one of the most utilized and productive Centers in the city. Not so long ago the Center was underutilized and located in a high crime-ridden area of the District. However, with innovative programming and partnerships with such organizations as Sasha Bruce, Roving Leaders, and local law enforcement (The First Police District), this recreation center is now a safe haven for youth and has evolved into a modern marvel. Paul believes that all youth deserve a right to have a local outlet to go to and exercise with leisure, just as he did coming up as a youth at the #4 Boys/Girls Club and the old King-Greenleaf Recreation Center. Because of his beliefs, Paul is the founder and Executive Director of the Southwest Comm-Unity Forum (SWCF), a nonprofit organization that provides an array of mentoring, educational, and recreational activities for SW youth. Since its inception in 2007, Paul has organized the Summer in Lansburgh Park which is a Community Event designed to bring the entire Southwest Community together. During this event, the young and elderly in the community come together and experience the rich culture and diversity in the region to enjoy music, free food, entertainment, health screening, amusement rides for children, and to socialize. Paul is a justice-involved individual who consistently pays forward opportunities for returning citizens and their families.
Borden Barrows has had a diverse professional journey spanning entrepreneurship, public service, web development, and recovery advocacy. In 1986, he founded and later sold a successful marketing firm, working with leading direct marketers including Time Inc., AIG Insurance, Revlon, and Citibank. While success came easily to Mr. Barrows, he made mistakes and, in 2010, was sentenced to federal prison. There, he discovered his passion for supporting others while working in the prison education department. In 2018, he began working with the DC Department of Corrections on the Inside Scoop program, a newsletter written by and for facility residents. In 2021, he joined the DOC full-time as Special Projects Coordinator for the LEAD-Up and LEAD-Out program, which prepares and supports returning citizens before and after release. In that role, he facilitated reentry programming focused on recovery support, digital literacy, and life skills, and helped restart 12-step meetings inside the DC Jail. Mr. Barrows is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS), an active member of the recovery movement, and a facilitator of the Integrated Forensic Peer Recovery Specialist (I-FPRS) training program for SAFE Project. He also works in web development, supporting nonprofit and small-business projects through website design, digital communications, and online program resources. Drawing on both professional and lived experience, he is deeply committed to helping justice-impacted individuals build stable, meaningful lives in their communities.
Operating at the intersection of justice involvement and workforce systems, strengthening both individual career mobility and employer capacity.
