Airto Morales is a member of the Social Justice and Well-being team with the W. Haywood Burns Institute. Airto’s Social/Criminal Justice career sprung from a critical consciousness that arose from a firsthand narrative of having spent over a decade of his own life navigating California’s penal system. Formal and informal education was a definite catalyst to truly understanding the collateral consequences of incarceration and how to successfully navigate a system that has truly devoured people of color over the last forty years. After being released on parole Airto received his BA and MA, and ultimately lectured in the Counseling and Criminal Justice Departments for several years at San Francisco State University (SFSU). Airto also went back into the system and taught within the San Francisco County Jail and Juvenile facilities for many years

Airto also has worked with the incarcerated and reentry population for the last twenty years supporting youth, women and men on their journey of transitioning from a carceral setting to an academic setting at SFSU via Project Rebound and in the Peralta College System in Alameda County through Five Keys Schools and Programs.

Airto can be reached at amorales@burnsinstitute.org.