Advocacy at Aliceville
When we began building the Profiles section on PrisonProfessors.org, the idea was simple but ambitious: to give every person in prison a platform to memorialize their journey. We knew this documentation would be essential for our advocacy. If people could show, in measurable and transparent ways, that they were pursuing excellence, we could more effectively argue for policies that expand opportunities to earn freedom.
Our goal was clear: start from zero and grow to 10,000 participants.
The Call to Aliceville
Early in that process, I connected with Celeste Blair, an extraordinary woman serving a lengthy sentence at FCI Aliceville in Alabama. Celeste embraced the challenge. She began spreading the word inside Aliceville, encouraging other women to learn about our advocacy and to take part in the Preparing for Success After Prison course.
I always make three promises to people inside:
- I will never lie to them.
- I will never ask them to do anything I didn’t do myself.
- I will never charge a penny for the work we do at Prison Professors.
Celeste trusted that message—and she became so effective at teaching others that staff members at Aliceville invited me to visit and make a presentation myself.
A Warm Welcome
I made the long trip to Alabama, where the warden and her executive team welcomed me warmly. When I walked into the auditorium, I was humbled to see perhaps 500 women stand to give me a standing ovation.
The women already knew about the Straight-A Guide and the importance of documenting their journey. They understood that by building profiles—with biographies, journals, book reports, and release plans—they could not only stay focused but also stand out as leaders of their own lives.
One woman became so inspired that she painted a portrait of me, using the author photo from one of the workbooks we had sent to Aliceville. That gesture showed me the depth of commitment these women were putting into their own transformation.
From Aliceville to Clemency
Later in 2024, advocacy groups asked me if I knew of individuals who should be considered for clemency. I directed them to our leaderboard. Celeste Blair had accumulated the most points, documenting her journey consistently and transparently. Her preparation and persistence paid off.
President Biden commuted her sentence, and Celeste is now home—volunteering as an ambassador for Prison Professors, showing others what’s possible when they live as the CEO of their lives.
The Broader Mission
Aliceville reaffirmed the mission. Change doesn’t happen by accident—it happens when people commit to documenting their growth and when staff support that commitment. Every profile built, every point earned, every entry on the leaderboard becomes part of a larger story. Together, those stories strengthen our call for reforms that incentivize excellence and create new pathways to liberty.