We exist to
change lives.
In supporting returning citizens with healing, mentorship,
and connection, we help reduce recidivism, empower families, and build safer, more compassionate neighborhoods.
YardTime Inc. was born out of lived experience,
a deep love for community, and the unwavering belief that everyone deserves a second chance and a strong support system to go with it. Read on to learn about our Founder, a returning citizen, who knew the sting of silence and the power of being seen, and started YardTime Inc. with one goal: to build a bridge between incarceration and true reintegration.
We didn’t just want to reduce recidivism, we wanted to reignite purpose, repair broken systems, and rebuild lives from the ground up. What began as weekly conversations has grown into a thriving nonprofit where transformation happens, through healing circles, tech classes for senior women, men’s mental health bowling leagues, entrepreneurship training, community cookouts, and so much more.
Our programs meet people where they are, then help them grow where they’re planted.
Our programs meet people where they are, then help them grow where they’re planted. At YardTime, we know that reentry isn’t just about coming home, it’s about feeling like you belong. That’s why we walk beside every returning citizen, every mother, every father, and every elder in our programs. Because community isn’t something we talk about, it’s something we build, together.
Our Founder
A Story of Resilience & Dedication
Joseph Bennett, known to family and friends as “Toot” or “Joey,” was born and raised in the Mission Hill Housing Development in Roxbury, Boston. His life has been shaped by both injustice and resilience. In 1989, his family was thrust into the national spotlight when his uncle, William “Willie” Bennett, was falsely accused in the infamous Charles Stuart case—an early lesson in racism and systemic injustice.
Just a few years later, Joseph himself faced wrongful accusations in the Morning Star Baptist Church stabbing. Though the charges were dismissed in 1993, the weight of being treated as guilty before proven innocent left a lasting mark. In 1997, Joseph was again falsely accused, this time of second-degree murder in a Boston nightclub. Despite his innocence, he was convicted and spent 22 years incarcerated.
After relentless efforts to prove his innocence, Joseph was granted bail in 2019 and continues to fight for full exoneration. Since coming home, he has dedicated his life to breaking cycles of incarceration, supporting returning citizens, and building stronger communities. Through Yardtime, Joseph turns his lived experience into a mission: creating spaces for healing, dignity, and transformative justice for those most impacted by the system.
Joseph Bennett
Founder & Executive Director