Did you know that California has the largest prison system in the nation? There are over 46 adult prison/correctional facilities that incarcerate almost 200,000 men and women – and this leaves nearly 200,000 children without one or more parents. Those are shocking numbers! Children of incarcerated parents are often left in either foster homes or
Within the California Institution for Women, a women’s correctional facility located in Corona, California, a student-run nonprofit organization called Cultivating Dreams helps incarcerated women tend to an organic garden. This dynamic program is a collaborative effort of volunteers from the Claremont College community, and both students and women inside the prison work together to manage
Most prison educators strongly believe that incarcerated prisoners who receive higher education while in prison have substantially reduced rates of recidivism. The Education from the Inside Out Coalition is a collaborative of nonpartisan advocates for higher education for students in prison. And most importantly, the Education from the Inside Out advocates are diligently working for
Being incarcerated in prison can be very lonely. Isolated from friends and family, inmates often have little contact with the outside world. Imagine how important it can be to a prisoner to receive a letter from someone who can talk about day-to-day events in the outside world. Studies show that prisoners who have frequent contact
Imagine the love a dog that is on its “last days” at an animal shelter must feel when they are unconditionally loved by a human that at one time abused them. Imagine the love an incarcerated woman feels when she can help earn the trust of an abused dog. This is one of the beautiful
It may be hard to imagine prison inmates and ex-offenders involved in the dairy industry. However, in upstate New York, where there are plenty of prisons and cows, a grassroots organization called, Milk Not Jails, began in order to help with prison reform and to help with the state’s dairy crisis as the costs of
One may not think that a creative music project could help with the rehabilitation of prison inmates, yet many, many incarcerated individuals across the UK have been helped tremendously through the Irene Taylor Trust Music in Prisons project. In 1995, the Irene Taylor Trust was established in the memory of the late Lord Chief Justice
Dogs with poor social skills meet prison inmates with poor social skills, and what is born is DAWGS in Prison. DAWGS is an acronym for Developing Adoptable Dogs With Good Sociability. The DAWGS in Prison program is in partnership with the St. Joseph Humane Society and the Gulf Correctional Institution in Florida. The mission of
Prison inmates cuddling and caring for fuzzy felines in a prison cell? That seems an unlikely picture. Yet, through an innovative and brand-new program at the Larch Correctional Facility in Washington State, a few very select inmates and a couple of really lucky cats have the opportunity to help each other learn responsibility, compassion, and
So many at-risk youths do not have opportunities to be educated or receive help with possible job placement. The mission of Homeboy Industries: Jobs, not Jails: Homeboy Industries assists at-risk and formerly gang-involved youth to become positive and contributing members of society through job placement, training, and education. Homeboy Industries located in Los Angeles, California