Prison Professors

Our Mission

Incentivize the Pursuit of Excellence

At Prison Professors, we empower people impacted by the criminal justice system to build pathways toward success. Founded by Michael Santos, who transformed his life during 26 years of incarceration, our nonprofit creates self-directed resources, courses, and books that inspire resilience, accountability, and meaningful change.

Michael Santos speaking
4,907

Profiles created

7,732,492

Words written

35,887

Points earned

178

Active facilities

Advocating for reforms

Our Advocacy

Advocating for Meaningful Reform

We advocate for meaningful reform by highlighting stories of tens of thousands who are transforming their lives. By documenting how incarcerated people pursue personal excellence and growth, we aim to influence policymakers and stakeholders to embrace alternatives to traditional incarceration.

Our goal is to expand programs like work-release and community confinement, ultimately breaking the cycle of intergenerational recidivism.

Learn About Our Policy Work