Bruce has delivered powerful speeches both inside and outside of prison, raising awareness about justice reform and the plight of the wrongfully convicted.

ABOUT

Bruce Bryan

Human Justice Advocate | Movement Strategist | Transformational Speaker | U.S. Ambassador, Justice Defenders

Bruce Bryan is a nationally recognized Human Justice Advocate and the U.S. Ambassador for Justice Defenders, a global legal empowerment nonprofit working to ensure fair and equal access to justice. At just 23, Bruce was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life in a New York State maximum-security prison for a crime he did not commit. He spent the next 29 years turning that time into purpose—committed not only to his own transformation, but to the liberation and empowerment of others behind the wall.

While incarcerated, Bruce pursued higher education with unrelenting determination. He earned an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts from Sullivan County Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science from Mercy College, and completed business and reentry training through Columbia Business School. He also graduated from The New School’s Institute for Transformational Mentoring and completed certifications in legal research, conflict resolution, and peer education.

Bruce co-founded the Civic-Duty Initiative, launched the first prison-based gun buyback program in New York State, and led initiatives supporting dyslexia screening and educational reform inside correctional facilities. He worked tirelessly to support children of incarcerated parents and delivered a historic TEDx Talk at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in 2020.

Bruce’s commitment to justice and human dignity led to a broad clemency campaign supported by students and faculty at CUNY School of Law, journalists from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, and students from the Shawn Carter Foundation. In December 2022, he was granted executive clemency by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and released in April 2023. He is currently seeking full exoneration.

Now working as a Senior Client Advocate, Bruce partners with legal teams to support individuals navigating the criminal legal system, emphasizing alternatives to incarceration, access to housing, employment, and mental health services. His client-centered work promotes decarceration and long-term reintegration.

In 2024, Bruce founded Bryan Innovative Consulting, a strategic platform focused on building partnerships, shaping advocacy campaigns, and elevating public awareness around wrongful convictions, reentry, and restorative justice. The firm serves as a vehicle for movement-building and sustainable justice solutions.

Bruce also holds leadership and advisory roles with Friends and Families of the Wrongfully Convicted, 300 Letters, and Community Capacity Development, and continues to mentor others impacted by the system.

He has spoken at major events across the U.S. and internationally, including appearances at the French Embassy, and has been featured on The Joe Rogan Experience and numerous panels and podcasts focused on criminal justice reform, reentry, and the human impact of incarceration. Whether before policymakers, students, or justice-impacted communities, Bruce brings a message of resilience, radical transformation, and human dignity.

Book Bruce to speak on criminal justice reform, clemency, wrongful conviction, and building systems rooted in redemption and equity.