Ruby Welch

Ruby Welch is a motivational speaker, Criminal and Restorative Justice Advocate, and Founder and Executive Director of F.E.L.O.N. (Formerly Incarcerated Empowered Leaders Overcoming Negative Stigmas). After experiencing first-hand the harmful effects of serving seven years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Ruby vowed to educate her community about the disparities of incarceration and its lasting effects on individuals. Ruby was formerly employed with UAMS as a Community Health Coordinator before joining the Dream.org JUSTICE team. At UAMS she educated detainees at the Pulaski County Detention Center on various health risks and concerns. Ruby received the Champions Award from C.A.R.E. (Central Arkansas Re-entry Coalition) in 2016 for her dedication to Community Advocacy. She currently serves as the Arkansas Ambassador with the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Campaign and Empathy Partner with Dream.org JUSTICE (formerly known as #CUT50), is a representative for The National Council of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, a member of the C.A.R.E.Coalition, Project South, Arkansas Community Health Workers Association, Arkansas Community Institute for Housing, Poor People’s Campaign, Black Lives Matter, 2018 Speaker for DeCarcerate Conference, 2019 Panelist for Legal Action Network at Columbia University (Dismantling Systemic Inequity in Criminal Justice and Health), 2019 Recognition Award from Future for Felons of Jonesboro, Arkansas for Overcoming the Odds, Panelist for American for Prosperity 2018 and 2019, 2019 Panelist for National Association of Social Workers, Honored in2021 at the 100 Women United and Beautifully Broken, serves as a Restorative Justice Facilitator for the University of Arkansas Little Rock, Chairperson and Facilitator of Local CAB for Chicago University and George Mason University Covid-19 Criminal Justice Impacted Study,and was recently appointed Chair of Criminal Justice by The Little Rock Branch NAACP#6019-B. As an Ambassador for #CUT50 Ruby was instrumental in the passing and signing into law #Dignity Arkansas for Incarcerated Women. Ruby views her work as an extension of her Christian Faith.