David L. Garlock

David L. Garlock is a formerly incarcerated criminal justice reform advocate and reentry expert. Garlock and his brother received 25-year sentences in Alabama after taking the life of their abuser. A client of Equal Justice Initiative, he was released on parole in 2013 after serving more than 13 years and pursuing several educational opportunities while incarcerated. He subsequently obtained his bachelor's degree from Eastern University.

Garlock’s professional experience includes advocacy and reentry program management. With his story and professional expertise, his voice has made an impact in campaigns to abolish death by incarceration, create geriatric parole programs, and reinstitute Pell Grant funding for incarcerated students. He served as the Lancaster Program Director for New Person Ministries, a reentry program for men who have been convicted of sex offenses and other returning citizens, from 2017-2020. Garlock graduated from JustLeadershipUSA’s Leading with Conviction fellowship program in 2019.

He serves as a board member for the National Association for Rational Sex Offense Laws, the Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sex Offense Laws, the Pennsylvania Reentry Council, and the Eastern University Prison Education Program. He previously served as Co-Chair of the Lancaster County Reentry Coalition.

Garlock enjoys educating the next generation of criminal justice professionals on rehabilitation and advocating in various spheres for an effective and equitable justice system. He is a frequent speaker at colleges and universities, criminal and social justice conferences, and community events, and he appeared in the film Just Mercy (2020). Garlock resides in Coatesville, PA with his family, where they enjoy serving with their local church.