Helen (Skip) Skipper Bio

I was born and raised in Hollis, Queens, but my life has been filled with pain and struggle. From the age of 17, I’ve been in and out of the system, experiencing every aspect of New York’s criminal justice system. I grew up on Rikers Island, and put the first brick in Rose M. Singer. My mental health and substance abuse issues only added to the baggage I carried around.

But one day, I hit rock bottom. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I knew that this was my last chance to turn my life around. I finally got into an ATI, and started working on myself. It wasn’t easy, but with hard work and dedication, I was able to get clean and stay that way.

Now, I work as the Executive Director for The NYC Justice Peer Initiative, helping others who have been in the same position I was in. I’m also graduating from St. Francis College with honors and going on to grad school for a Masters/Phd program in Criminology!

But despite all the progress I’ve made, there are still moments that bring back the pain of my past. From the way I’m treated by parole officers who don’t understand me, to the difficulties I faced in being authentically myself in programs and shelters, the scars of my past are still with me.

But I refuse to let those scars define me. I’m a survivor, and I’m determined to use my experiences to help others and make a positive impact in the world.