Andre Gaskin

Andre Gaskin lives in Brooklyn, New York where he works as a mason. In 2009, he was arrested and convicted on three felony charges, spending the next five years, from ages 27 to 32, in New York State prison. Prior to his incarceration, Gaskin pursued carpentry and electrical skills to earn a living after having dropped out of high school. While in prison, Gaskin committed to turn things around for good. He earned his GED, completed a bricklaying apprenticeship and obtained vocational titles in construction. Working with a re-entry organization in New York City, he has maintained his full-time masonry job for more than a year and gained entry to NYC’s Local 157 carpentry union, admittance to which is highly competitive. Gaskin was born in Barbados, where he lived until moving to America with his mother at age 12.