Built by people who walked the road home.
We believe a second chance must be backed by a safe home, honest relationships, and real economic opportunity. Discover the mission and leadership powering New Dawn Transitions.
A vision born from lived experience and community need
When individuals leave correctional facilities in Minnesota, they encounter a daunting web of immediate obstacles: strict housing denials, systemic employer bias, broken family ties, and the heavy weight of isolation.
New Dawn Transitions was created to bridge this exact gap. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit built from the ground up to provide not just a bed, but a comprehensive environment grounded in Faith, Family, and Finance.
By coupling safe, supervised transitional housing with individualized case management, mental health navigation, and second-chance employment pipelines, we ensure our residents rebuild their lives with dignity, structure, and lasting stability.
Our Organizational Vision
To build a future where every individual returning from incarceration has access to safe and stable housing, compassionate support, and meaningful opportunities to rebuild a productive, independent, and purpose-driven life within their community.
Every participant is treated as a whole human being with inherent worth, supported by mentors and leaders who understand their journey firsthand.
Meet the Founders & Leadership
Grounded in lived experience, operational expertise, and a deep dedication to criminal justice reform, recovery, and restorative community healing in the Twin Cities.
Kevin J. Fenner
Kevin J. Fenner’s life story is one of struggle, resilience, transformation, and ultimately, service to others.
Born in Chicago on September 14, 1967, Kevin was raised in Detroit, Michigan, beginning in 1968. His childhood was shaped by poverty, instability, trauma, and exposure to circumstances that forced him to navigate adult challenges at a very young age. By age seven, Kevin had become involved in selling drugs. At twelve, he was sent to a boys’ home, further separating him from the stability and support every young person deserves.
At just 15 years old, Kevin became a father. Two years later, at age 17, he experienced one of the most devastating moments of his life when he witnessed his brother die by suicide. That traumatic experience would remain with him and become part of the complex journey he would spend years trying to understand.
At age 24, Kevin was sentenced to federal prison. He was released at 28, but his return to the community did not mark the end of his struggles. At age 35, he was arrested on drug-related charges and received a sentence of two life terms plus 30 years.
Kevin ultimately served 15 years out of a life sentence. During those 15 years behind federal prison walls, he experienced firsthand the barriers, isolation, and challenges that can make it extraordinarily difficult for people involved with the criminal justice system to rebuild their lives.
The Turning Point & Legal Advocacy
Kevin’s case was initially reviewed and taken on by the Buried Alive Project, an initiative co-founded by attorney Brittany K. Barnett (who was working alongside Kim Kardashian on high-profile clemency and criminal justice reform cases). Because the Buried Alive Project was actively focused on another major legal initiative at the time, Brittany Barnett passed Kevin's case directly to attorney MiAngel Cody of The Decarceration Collective.
MiAngel Cody grabbed Kevin’s case, championed his legal fight, and—supported by TRE the Truth—successfully secured his freedom after 15 years served out of his life sentence. His release represented more than freedom—it represented responsibility, purpose, and an opportunity to transform the experiences of his past into tools for helping others.
Since returning home, Kevin has dedicated himself to becoming part of the solution. He has become a Life Coach and earned his certification as a Peer Recovery Specialist, using his lived experience to connect with people who may feel that change is impossible. Kevin understands the realities of incarceration, substance use, trauma, reentry, family disruption, and the challenges of rebuilding a life after years of institutionalization—not simply from a textbook, but from personal experience.
A New Mission
Kevin's mission is to help people returning home from prison and individuals living with substance use disorders navigate a new path toward stability, purpose, and healthy living.
"A person's past should inform their future—not determine it."
Kevin seeks to provide the guidance, encouragement, accountability, and practical support that can help individuals move beyond survival and begin building lives they are proud of.
His work focuses on helping people:
- Successfully transition from incarceration back into their communities
- Develop healthier decision-making and life skills
- Navigate recovery and maintain positive lifestyle changes
- Rebuild relationships with family and community
- Identify meaningful goals and develop a plan to achieve them
- Connect with resources, education, employment, and recovery services
- Recognize their own value, potential, and capacity for change
Why This Work Matters
Reentry is more than walking out of a prison gate. It is the process of learning how to live again, rebuild relationships, find employment and housing, address trauma, maintain recovery, and develop a sense of purpose in a world that may have changed dramatically during a person's incarceration.
People with lived experience are uniquely positioned to help others navigate these challenges. Kevin's journey gives him credibility with individuals who may distrust traditional systems or believe that nobody understands what they are going through. Kevin is committed to turning his own experiences—including his mistakes, losses, incarceration, recovery, and freedom—into a source of hope for others.
The Vision
With the support of donors, foundations, community partners, and organizations committed to reentry, recovery, and community transformation, Kevin seeks to expand his ability to serve individuals and families who need guidance during some of the most difficult transitions of their lives. Investment in this work is an investment in second chances, healthier families, safer communities, and human potential.
From Consequences to Purpose & Transformation
Kevin J. Fenner has lived through the consequences of destructive choices. He has experienced incarceration, loss, addiction, trauma, and the difficulty of starting over. Today, he is choosing to use those experiences differently. He is not asking people to forget his past. He is showing them what can be built from it.
His next chapter is about service. His mission is about transformation. And his purpose is to help others find their way home—to themselves, to their families, and to a healthier and more productive life.
Jamal H. Mohamed
Jamal H. Mohamed’s journey is one of redemption, resilience, and dedicated purpose in community leadership.
Jamal H. Mohamed was born in East Africa in 1979. In 1998, he immigrated to San Diego, California, seeking new opportunities and the promise of a better future. Like many immigrants, he faced the challenges of adapting to a new country, culture, and way of life while trying to build a foundation for success.
In 2002, Jamal experienced his first arrest, marking the beginning of a difficult chapter in his life. Although he started a family in 2003 and embraced the responsibilities of fatherhood, he continued to struggle with choices that led him in and out of the criminal justice system between 2008 and 2020. During those years, he faced repeated setbacks, incarceration, and the consequences that come with living without clear direction and purpose.
Transformation & Peer Recovery Leadership
Rather than allowing his past to define his future, Jamal made a life-changing decision in 2023 to transform his life completely. He committed himself to personal growth, accountability, and becoming a positive influence in his community. His experiences gave him a unique understanding of the barriers faced by individuals living with substance use disorders, mental health challenges, and justice involvement.
That same year, Jamal began mentoring individuals who were working to overcome addiction, rebuild their lives, and navigate mental health challenges. Drawing from lived experience, he became someone people could trust—offering hope, encouragement, practical guidance, and proof that lasting change is possible.
In 2024, Jamal became a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) and Professional Life Skills Coach. Through these roles, he has dedicated himself to helping individuals develop the life skills, confidence, and resilience needed to achieve long-term recovery, stable employment, healthy relationships, and successful reintegration into society.
Building on that mission, Jamal launched a business in 2025 focused on supporting individuals affected by mental health and substance use challenges. His vision extends beyond coaching—he is committed to creating pathways to recovery, self-sufficiency, and lasting success by connecting people with resources, education, and compassionate support.
The Vision for Transitional Housing
Today, Jamal's greatest passion is pursuing his vision of establishing a nonprofit organization that provides free transitional housing for men returning home from prison. His goal is to offer each resident up to one year of safe housing, mentorship, recovery support, employment assistance, life skills training, and community connections.
"Successful reentry requires more than a second chance—it requires opportunity, structure, and people who genuinely believe in an individual's ability to change."
Key Operational & Housing Pillars:
- Up to one year of free, safe, and structured transitional housing
- Lived-experience recovery mentorship & CPRS peer coaching
- Professional life skills training, daily routines & accountability
- Second-chance employment pipelines & career development
- Compassionate mental health & substance use recovery navigation
- Active community reconnection & family restoration alignment
- Comprehensive intake coordination & barrier removal systems
Why This Work Matters
Navigating the transition from incarceration to independent community life requires dismantling deep-seated barriers: mental health struggles, substance use challenges, and systemic hurdles. As someone who has walked this road, Jamal brings authentic empathy, strategic leadership, and operational clarity to creating environments where men can genuinely rebuild their lives.
His leadership bridges compassionate peer support with disciplined operational execution—ensuring housing, case alignment, and employer partnerships work seamlessly together for every resident.
The Vision
With a strong foundation in peer recovery, business leadership, and community advocacy, Jamal is dedicated to building sustainable pathways that empower returning men to thrive as fathers, workers, and community leaders. By investing in comprehensive transitional housing and holistic support, we create second chances that permanently break cycles of recidivism.
Redemption, Resilience & Purpose
Jamal's story is one of redemption, resilience, and purpose. His life demonstrates that the past does not have to determine the future. Through faith, perseverance, education, and service to others, he has transformed personal adversity into a mission of hope.
Today, he continues to inspire others by showing that no matter where someone starts, lasting transformation is possible when they are given the right support, guidance, and opportunity.
The Power of a Second Chance
Kevin Fenner shares his personal journey — from serving 15 years out of a life sentence in federal prison to becoming an executive director and mentor empowering formerly incarcerated men in Minnesota.
"When you give someone the right tools, a clean environment, and people who genuinely believe in them, there is nothing they cannot overcome."
At New Dawn Transitions, this journey forms the foundation of every policy, daily routine, and mentorship session we offer.
Core Values That Guide Our Work
Every decision we make at New Dawn Transitions is guided by four fundamental values.
Dignity & Respect
We recognize the innate value of every resident. Our programs are designed to restore self-respect, personal worth, and confidence.
Accountability
Compassion without accountability is ineffective. We provide clear structure, rules, drug/alcohol-free environments, and regular check-ins.
Holistic Healing
True change requires healing trauma, mending family relationships, and addressing mental health alongside physical and housing needs.
Community
Isolation leads to relapse; fellowship builds resilience. We cultivate an enduring network of peers, mentors, and alumni.