Advocacy at Waseca

I am grateful to Warden Segal, Associate Warden McIntosh, and the entire executive team for welcoming me to FCI Waseca, a women’s federal prison in Minnesota. Clearly, the team did significant advance work to coordinate the logistics—several hundred women gathered in the prison’s auditorium for my presentation, and I was honored by their attentiveness and engagement.

Unique Challenges in Women’s Prisons

In my experience, women’s prisons often don’t have the same resources for classes, programming, or books that exist in men’s facilities. That’s why I am especially grateful for the chance to visit Waseca. I wanted the women there to hear a consistent message: regardless of resources, you can build your own self-directed reentry plan.

Even when classrooms aren’t available, people can work independently with the self-directed lessons our team at Prison Professors provides. What matters is memorializing the effort—writing, journaling, reflecting, and documenting growth in ways that show commitment and resilience.

Building Assets for the Future

I emphasized that these efforts are not just about “serving time.” They are about building assets for self-advocacy. By documenting the steps they are taking—through biographies, journals, book reports, and release plans—they show both themselves and others that they are focused on preparing for success.

I encouraged the women to open a profile on PrisonProfessors.org. With a profile, they not only keep track of their progress but also involve their family members in the process. Families can see and share the record of growth, which strengthens both accountability and support networks.

A Message of Resilience

The core of my message was resilience. Confinement creates crisis, but within crisis lies opportunity. The more deliberately people work to memorialize their journey, the more they show that they are overcoming adversity, focusing on personal development, and preparing to thrive when they return home.

The women at Waseca left me encouraged. Their energy and readiness to participate showed me that, even without traditional resources, they are eager to learn and grow. With the right tools, they can demonstrate that they are extraordinary and compelling—and we can use their stories to advocate for reforms that create more pathways to liberty through merit.

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