Driving Judgement-Free Zones: Waymo and Homeboy Industries Partner in L.A.
As the sun rose over Los Angeles, the team at Homeboy Industries gathered in the lobby to kick off the workday.
For many at this nonprofit devoted to serving formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated people – the largest of its kind in the world – the “morning meeting” is more than a meeting. Employees and community members liken it to a family gathering.
“We get to celebrate people's birthdays and people getting their driver's license and reuniting with their children,” said Alison Lass, media relations manager at Homeboy Industries. “We get to celebrate small milestones, big milestones, and embrace people as they're struggling.”
Homeboy Industries is the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. For over 30 years, the non-profit has provided training and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated people, allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of our community.
Homeboy Industries is currently serving more than 500 people, called “trainees,” in 13 social enterprise, or workforce, areas. It also provides wraparound rehabilitation and re-entry support such as tattoo removal, case management, mental health services, and substance use disorder services.
“As trainees at Homeboy Industries say, this place is not like the rest of the world,” said Miguel Lugo, security coordinator at Homeboy Industries. “Homeboy is a place of kinship, love, and to find yourself.”
Miguel is a former trainee who spent 18 years in incarceration and, with the help of Homeboy Industries, had more than 150 tattoos removed from his body.
“When people tell you you can't get a job, at Homeboy we tell you ‘Yes, you can,’” Miguel said. “When people tell you you're worthless, at Homeboy they tell you they love you.”
On this particular morning, the team is learning about Waymo and its autonomous ride-hailing service in LA. As it does with many nonprofits in its service areas across the U.S., Waymo is partnering with Homeboy Industries to explore how its technology could help drive a shared mission of connection and community.
The Homeboy Industries team (left to right, Alison, Shovon, Jessica, Miguel, and Rick) at City Hall after riding with Waymo. The collaboration reflects a shared mission of community, second chances, and safe, accessible mobility for all.
Community is the lifeblood of Homeboy Industries, Alison emphasized.
“The power of the Homeboy community is really a palpable thing, and it leads to success for so many people that walk through our doors,” she said.
Shovon Walker, a government relations lead at Homeboy Industries and a former trainee, says he appreciates how Waymo’s rides come judgement-free.
“There was a time when I was discriminated against in a ride-share,” Shovon said. “I don't know if it was the way I was dressed, the time of night, the area, but the ride got canceled and I didn't understand why.”
Shovon called for another ride, and nobody came. After an hour and a half waiting on the street, he called his family to come get him. It was a long time before he ever used another ride-hailing service.
Then, he tried riding with Waymo.
Shovon values the judgement-free experience Waymo offers, with transportation that offers dignity and reliability.
“There's no human there to judge me, to put their opinion on me or who I am or what I'm going to do," Shovon said. “The car pulls up, I get in, get to my destination, and I have my own privacy at the same time.”
Miguel also rode with Waymo and the ride sparked his imagination.
“I was just like, okay, ‘This is good,’ so my hamster starts running like, ‘Can we send people to rehab on this? Can we send people to a doctor's appointment?’” Miguel said.
Shovon also thinks Waymo could add a safe mobility option to support Homeboy Industries’ transportation needs.
“Even with the transportation we have at this point, we can't serve everybody,” said Shovon. “Waymo could step in and help as far as getting people back and forth to courts, getting people back and forth to their doctor's appointments, to their parole offices, some maybe just back and forth from home to Homeboys.”
For trainees, often called Homies, having transportation to a court case or not can be the difference between having a record expunged or keeping their children.
Former trainees like Jessica Sanchez know these kinds of make-it-or-break it moments all too well. She tried to complete the Homeboy Industries program several times before sticking with it during a time when she was fighting to regain custody of her daughters.
Homeboy Industries provides legal support and empowerment to trainees, from family law to expungement petitions, alongside passionate policy advocacy for their rights, freedoms, and dignity.
Now Jessica works as an advocacy and research coordinator at Homeboy Industries, but it was her love for her daughters that first drove her to learn about her rights.
“I joined an organization that helped me learn about laws and how people put these laws into place and what they really meant and how to understand them,” Jessica explained.
After she won her case, Jessica wanted to help others at Homeboy Industries.
A Waymo autonomous vehicle waits curbside outside City Hall as the Homeboy Industries team heads inside.
“I wanted to have a space where I could teach people the things that I've learned and just give back that knowledge,” she explained. “One of the parts of my job that I enjoy very much is getting to talk to the trainees about what a bill is and how a bill becomes a law.”
When Jessica rode with Waymo, her daughters were naturally top of mind. She immediately thought of how the service - which is designed to drive conscientiously, prioritize safety, and obey road rules like speed limits – could help her daughters as they get older and travel around on their own.
“Waymo was not distracted. It was not a crazy driver. It was my own space,” Jessica said, adding that she would trust Waymo to chauffeur her daughters. “It's going to let me sleep knowing that they're going to come home safe.”
