Ray Lewis, former NFL linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, visited SCI Greene and spoke to approximately 400 inmates on June 19. Lewis visited in support of Dr. Christian Conte, who is currently assisting the facility with the department's Violence Reduction Initiative (VRI).
Lewis played all of his 17-year professional career with the Baltimore Ravens and is considered to be one of the best linebackers in American football history. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year.
At Greene he discussed his own personal life experiences and how success in sports mirrors success in life. He stressed the importance of setting goals, working hard, being motivated, overcoming obstacles and pushing through disappointments.
He also discussed solar workforce development and co-founding the Power52 Foundation, which is aimed at providing training and skills to underserved populations and prepare them for careers in the clean energy sector. They also offer higher-paying job opportunities to formerly incarcerated individuals. The overall mission is to break the poverty cycle, unemployment, under-employment and incarceration in urban communities in Maryland and across the nation.