By Nicholas Garton – Capital Times –
Ramiah Whiteside stood tall as a proud mentor of currently and formerly incarcerated people. Whiteside, who volunteered in the restorative justice program run out of First Congregational Church of Christ in Madison, spent 25 years incarcerated in prison before getting out and paying forward the wisdom and tools he developed while inside.
Whiteside knew what his presence meant to several of the current inmates who attend restorative justice groups and other related seminars. He was a beacon of hope for them because he embodied what they could become.
Whiteside, who was taking classes at Northern Iowa, died unexpectedly last week at his home in Iowa. He was 47.
While incarcerated, Whiteside participated in the restorative justice program, which brings together victim survivors, community volunteers and former and current inmates to explore the harms of crime.