Biography

Vonya Quarles is the executive director of Starting Over, Inc. (SOI), a transitional living and re-entry service for men and women with children. SOI provides immediate home environments, peer support for parents, tutors for children and assistance with clothing, counseling and other academic and social support. Vonya is passionate about addressing the impact that incarceration has on children and looks for ways to eliminate the harm to this vulnerable population. After growing up in the foster system and being abused as a child she dropped out of middle school, became a teenage mother and cycled in and out of prison. Vonya graduated from law school in 2009 and passed the California bar exam. Vonya is a relentless advocate for the formerly incarcerated, organizing others to create a collective voice and engage in the civic process to overcome barriers to housing, education, employment and other critical resources and services.