( ENSPIRE Community Spotlight ) After Surviving Rikers, Michael “Rondo” Bonilla Is Now Leading the Next Generation in Justice Reform
ENSPIRE Contributor: Paola Avazian
At just 18 years old, Michael “Rondo” Bonilla found himself behind bars at the RNDC facility on Rikers Island—a notoriously brutal environment for anyone, let alone a teenager. With limited access to resources, family, or a pathway forward, Rondo became another young man lost in a broken system. But his story didn’t end there.
Through the intervention of La La Anthony’s ThreeSixty program—an initiative designed to mentor incarcerated youth and prepare them for life beyond prison—Rondo’s future took a powerful turn. The program provides participants with life skills, legal support, and emotional guidance. For Rondo, it meant far more than just hygiene products and a cellmate’s conversation—it meant being seen, supported, and given another chance.
“ThreeSixty gave me more than a program. It gave me a purpose,” Rondo shares. “They believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself.”
After serving 16 months, Rondo emerged not just free but focused. He enrolled in Columbia University’s reentry program—a major step for someone once counted out by the system. Today, he works with REFORM Alliance, a national nonprofit committed to transforming probation and parole. As Gen Z Organizer and co-chair of REFORM’s Future Shapers Advisory Committee, Rondo now advocates for those still stuck where he once was.
Through his leadership, Rondo has helped launch initiatives like Gen Z Day of Action, activating over 20 college campuses across the country to raise awareness on criminal justice reform. His story of resilience and recovery is now fueling a movement led by young people who are demanding more than survival—they’re building change.
“It’s about more than just getting out,” Rondo says. “It’s about changing what we’re getting out to.”
The impact of ThreeSixty and REFORM is made possible through the support of communities and individuals who believe in second chances. Whether by donating, volunteering, or sharing these powerful stories, everyone has a role to play.
Ways to support:
- Follow and engage with ThreeSixty on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
- Donate to help provide mentorship, legal support, and reentry programs for incarcerated youth.
- Share Rondo’s journey, from a prison cell at Rikers to reimagining justice nationwide.
Every voice matters. Every life counts. And as La La Anthony justifies, transformation is always possible—with the right people in your corner.
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