Service and Purpose
Erin Verespy began working with the Prison Professors community after learning that government investigators had opened a case against her. Rather than waiting for outcomes she could not control, she chose to prepare. She worked through our resources before her Presentence Investigation Report, before sentencing, and before surrendering to prison.
Erin continued applying those same principles while she served her sentence. She remained engaged with our programs, documenting her efforts and using her time in custody to prepare deliberately for reentry. Upon transitioning from prison to a halfway house, she began volunteering with Prison Professors, continuing her commitment to service and accountability.
I admired Erin for pushing forward during an especially challenging period of her life. She holds a university degree in accounting and has extensive experience helping small businesses manage their financial affairs. She brought that same discipline and professionalism to her own preparation and to her service within our community.
A federal conviction for a white-collar offense can make it difficult for people to reenter the job market, even when they possess strong skills and experience. In late January 2026, I invited Erin to begin overseeing our nonprofit’s finances. We needed clear, accurate reporting to show how we steward our resources and fulfill our mission responsibly. Erin stepped into that role with care, competence, and integrity.
I am pleased that Erin has become a member of our faculty because she serves as a clear example of what this platform is designed to demonstrate. The harder a person works during incarceration—by preparing, documenting effort, and accepting responsibility—the more likely that person is to recalibrate, rebuild confidence, and create opportunities for a productive future.
Foundational Contribution
Erin’s foundational contribution to Prison Professors is reflected in the discipline and transparency she brings to our financial stewardship.
With diligence and care, Erin prepares clear financial activity reports that allow us to communicate effectively with potential donors and partners. Her work helps demonstrate how we marshal resources responsibly to advance our mission and expand access to free educational tools.
Because of Erin’s reporting, we can show—not simply claim—how contributions are used to support people who are working through our programs on self-directed pathways to prepare for success upon release. That visibility strengthens trust, improves accountability, and enables informed decision-making by those who choose to support our work.
Erin’s contribution reinforces a core principle of Prison Professors: credibility is built through documentation. By bringing structure and clarity to our financial systems, she helps ensure that the organization remains mission-focused, transparent, and capable of sustaining impact for the people we serve.
Impact Narrative
Erin’s impact on Prison Professors is reflected in our ability to operate with clarity, accountability, and credibility as the organization grows.
Through her work overseeing our financial reporting, Erin has strengthened how we communicate impact to donors, partners, and other stakeholders. Instead of relying on general descriptions, we can now provide clear, organized financial activity reports that show how resources are allocated to support education, documentation, and self-directed preparation for people in our programs.
That transparency has practical consequences. It allows supporters to see how their contributions translate into free resources, expanded access, and improved outcomes for justice-impacted individuals who are actively doing the work to prepare for release. It also reinforces internal discipline, ensuring that decisions about growth, technology, and programming remain aligned with our mission.
Erin’s impact extends beyond numbers. By bringing structure and reliability to our financial systems, she helps ensure that Prison Professors can scale responsibly while remaining accessible to people regardless of their ability to pay. Her work supports the long-term sustainability of a platform built on trust, documentation, and measurable effort.
Post-Release Service
Erin’s post-release service extends beyond her formal responsibilities. We are using her story as a living example to show others what is possible when someone documents their journey with discipline and honesty.
By sharing how Erin prepared before sentencing, remained engaged during incarceration, and continued contributing after release, we help others see that preparation is cumulative. Each decision, each record, and each act of accountability builds toward credibility over time. Her example encourages people to document their efforts rather than wait for circumstances to change.
Erin’s story helps reinforce a central message of Prison Professors: progress becomes visible when it is documented. By highlighting her journey, we inspire more people to write, reflect, and memorialize the steps they are taking to recalibrate their lives and prepare for success upon release.
Her service, therefore, is not only operational. It is instructional. It helps others understand that their stories matter most when they are supported by consistent action and a clear record of growth.
Teaching Focus
Erin’s teaching focuses on helping people understand the importance of preparation, documentation, and financial responsibility at every stage of the justice process.
Through her example and her work with Prison Professors, Erin helps others see how careful planning before sentencing, disciplined behavior during incarceration, and continued accountability after release can improve outcomes over time. She reinforces that preparation is not limited to legal strategy alone. It includes understanding obligations, managing resources responsibly, and documenting decisions in a way that builds credibility.
Erin also contributes to our teaching by helping the community understand how transparency and recordkeeping matter beyond personal narratives. Her work shows how financial discipline and clear reporting support trust, sustainability, and long-term impact, both for individuals and for organizations.
By sharing her experience and applying her professional skills in service of the mission, Erin helps others learn that rebuilding confidence and opportunity begins with taking responsibility for details, following through consistently, and documenting the work along the way.