Redd MartineZ (He/Him), formerly known as Melvin MartineZ, was brought on to Tia Chucha’s team in the summer of 2023 as a Trauma to Transformation Program Assistant. He is a writer of fiction and poetry focused on the formerly incarcerated experience. Once released from Men’s Central Jail at the age of 20, Redd dedicated himself to organizing and learning about abolition and liberation. He is a graduate of UC Riverside with a BA in Creative Writing and was involved with student and community organizations such as Underground Scholars Initiative @UCR, and Riverside All Of Us Or None (RAOUON). In the year of 2021, CAT-911 (Community Action Team), was brought to RAOUON as a project to build alternatives to calling 911. Redd was one of many founders and organizers of the Riverside CAT-911 team and is still a member to this day. Because of the team's growth into a resource hotline, he was voted as CAT-911’s Collective Administrative Liaison to support the development of other teams in southern California. Currently, he is turning more of his focus towards self-development, applying to graduate school and writing his first novel. He hopes to find folks who can relate to his writing and influence many others to write their story. He loves sharing stories, music, gardening, and having a good laugh.