Meet the Team

Stephen Taylor’s journey in law has been driven by how we’re all bound together by our shared humanity. After graduating from law school in Iowa, he came to New Mexico in 2004 to advocate for Native American children with disabilities. His advocacy led him to become a state and federal public defender, where he represented children and adults in the criminal legal system for 17 years.

Throughout his career, Stephen has witnessed the profound ways that trauma impacts all our lives. Whether working with system-impacted children or adults, he has advocated for his clients to access the treatment and support they need to heal and grow, understanding that the path to transformation begins with compassion.

After seeing far too many young people receive extreme prison sentences, Stephen co-founded the New Mexico Coalition for the Fair Sentencing of Youth in 2018, which led a successful campaign to pass a second chance law giving people who committed serious crimes as children a chance to earn their freedom through early parole hearings.

The successful second chance campaign inspired Stephen to leave public defense work and co-found (De)serving Life, where he now leads a dedicated team supporting people impacted by mass incarceration. This work thrives through the support of individuals and communities who embrace a shared humanity and second chances.

(De)serving Life embodies Stephen’s core belief that every person holds the potential for both harm and healing. It’s this conviction that drives (De)serving Life’s work to create a public safety system that prioritizes restoration and healing for everyone impacted by harm and violence.

Kurt’s legal career began in the United States Army. There he served as a trial defense counsel and appellate defense counsel. He defended soldiers in jury trials and administrative removal hearings. As appellate counsel, he led a team that convinced the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces to set aside a death sentence. Kurt also graduated from the Army’s Airborne and Air Assault schools. After the Army, Kurt was an Assistant Federal Public Defender for 32 years. He worked in defender offices throughout the country as both a trial and appellate attorney. He tried numerous cases in federal court, wrote many successful appellate briefs, and frequently argued before the federal circuit courts. Kurt has joined (De)serving Life because its mission aligns with his belief in second chances. The new way forward begins with accountability, acceptance, and healing.

Matthew Pettit serves as the Parole Success Advocate for (De)serving Life, where he combines his lived experience, advocacy, and passion for transformative justice to support individuals navigating the challenges of reentry. With 24 years of lived experience in active addiction and 11 years incarcerated, Matthew brings a unique and deeply personal understanding to his work, fostering genuine connection and hope for those he serves.

Matthew played a role in advocating for legislation to restore voting rights for former inmates in New Mexico, exemplifying his commitment to amplifying marginalized voices and fostering systemic change. With a rich background in reentry services, he has led impactful initiatives through organizations like Healing Roar and contributed to harm reduction and recovery efforts statewide.

His work has been featured on platforms such as Project ECHO, Taos News, and KOB News, showcasing his dedication to promoting resilience and transformation within communities affected by incarceration. Beyond his role at (De)serving Life, Matthew continues to inspire change as a public speaker, Certified Peer Support Worker, Community Support Worker, and community advocate. His unwavering dedication to justice reform and individual empowerment drives his mission to build bridges from incarceration to thriving, purposeful lives.