White Collar Support Group
 | |
| Formation | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Jeff Grant Lynn Springer |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) |
| Purpose | Support and advocacy |
Region | Worldwide |
| Membership | 1,100+ |
| Website | https://prisonist.org/white-collar-support-group |
The White Collar Support Group (WCSG) is a community outreach program based in the United States that offers community support and resources for those navigating the challenges of the white-collar criminal justice system.[1] The group fosters peer support, engages in advocacy, and provides education to help individuals accept responsibility, make amends, and rebuild their lives after involvement in the criminal justice system.
White Collar Support Group meets several times per week to discuss legal proceedings, incarceration, sentencing, and reintegration into society to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism. Focuses include personal accountability, advocacy and education, and spiritual and peer support to address members' emotional, financial, and social challenges.[2]
As part of its advocacy, the group advocates for expungement reform and a felon's right to banking.[3] The group is a participant in Yale School of Management Professor Dr. Erin Frey's Professional and Personal Restoration Study.[4]
History
[edit]The White Collar Support Group was co-founded in 2016 by Jeff Grant[5] and Lynn Springer as part of their nonprofit organization, which was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2015.[3][6]
In 2024, the White Collar Support Group hosted the first annual White Collar Conference, an online event. Speakers included GOOD PLANeT CEO David Israel, podcaster Brent Cassity, Bridgegate defendant Bill Baroni, criminal defense lawyer Elizabeth Kelley, Theranos whistleblower Erika Cheung, former district attorney Seth Williams, tech entrepreneur Drew Chapin, and others.[7]
Membership
[edit]Membership includes lawyers, executives, and other professionals who are charged or convicted of white-collar crime.[8] Members include Richard Bronson, former partner at Stratton Oakmont, the firm featured in Martin Scorsese’s film The Wolf of Wall Street;[9] and Gordon Caplan of the Varsity Blues scandal.[10][11]
Advocacy Efforts
[edit]In 2025, the group announced three areas of advocacy: establishing a felon's right to banking services, pardon and expungement reform,[12] and its formal participation Yale School of Management Professor Dr. Erin Frey's Professional and Personal Restoration Study.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Osnos, Evan (2021-08-23). "Life After White-Collar Crime". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on 29 Aug 2021. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ^ "Jeff Grant's Remarkable Recovery from Addiction". American Bar Association. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ^ a b Mazotta, Ann (2025-02-04). "Jeff Grant Offers a New Type of Law Firm - California Business Journal". California Business Journal. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ^ a b Frey, Erin (2025-04-14). "Announcing the Professional and Personal Restoration Study by Dr. Erin Frey, Yale School of Management". Retrieved 2025-04-21.
- ^ Cantrell, Amanda (2018-12-13). "Surviving Prison as a Wall Street Convict". Institutional Investor. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Progressive Prison Ministries Inc - GuideStar Profile". GuideStar. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ^ "Innovation in Compliance: Supporting White Collar Offenders - A Conversation with Jeff Grant". JD Supra. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ^ Arvedlund, Erin (2020-10-18). "Steal money from the feds? First, meet Jeff Grant, an ex-con who committed loan fraud". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 5 Sep 2022. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ^ Mohdin, Aamna (2017-08-05). "After serving time, a former "wolf of Wall Street" launched a job board specifically for convicts". Quartz. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ^ Osnos, Evan (2021-08-23). "Life After White-Collar Crime". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ^ Bayles, Cara (25 Feb 2022). "After 'Varsity Blues' Conviction, Gordon Caplan Starts Over". Law360. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ^ Crowley, Jackie (2025-04-29). "White Collar Support Group Joins Second-Chance Study, Pushes for Expungement and Banking Reform - California Business Journal". California Business Journal. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
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