Change starts with daily action. This page highlights the measurable steps we’re taking to improve outcomes for all people going through the criminal-justice system. We measure progress by what we create, who we reach, and how many people are using our resources to prepare for success upon release. Use this page for a transparent window into our work—and an invitation to join us.
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We should measure justice by how hard a person works to reconcile with society, live as a good citizen, and prepare for success upon release—not by how many calendar pages they serve in prison. I served 26 years in federal prison, and I built Prison Professors to shift the focus from punishment to outcomes. Confinement is part of the process—but it fails. We should focus instead on the result we want: a safer, stronger society. In this video, I’ll explain how we’re taking consistent, measurable steps to change the narrative. Join us in reforming an entrenched bureaucracy that perpetuates failure. Let’s define excellence—and incentivize those who work to earn freedom through merit.
Every day, we publish new self-directed lessons to help justice-impacted people think, grow, and prepare for success. Each lesson includes reflection prompts and action steps that guide individuals to build stronger values, define goals, and stay productive. These free resources are designed for use in prison—by individuals, families, volunteers, or staff—and they support personal transformation at any stage of the journey.
Our MasterClasses feature in-depth interviews with successful people who built meaningful lives—often after overcoming hardship. These real-world stories reinforce the core principles we teach in our foundational courses like Preparing for Success After Prison, The Straight-A Guide, and Triumph: Building Bridges to Success. Each lesson reveals how leaders apply discipline, vision, and values to achieve lasting impact—proving that success leaves clues, and personal transformation is possible for anyone.
We invite members of our community to ask real questions about the challenges they’re facing. I respond through recorded interviews, offering insight drawn from the 26 years I served in prison—and everything I’ve learned since coming home. Each AMA episode connects lived experience with the lessons we teach, showing how the mindset and decisions a person makes inside will directly influence opportunities for success later. These sessions are raw, honest, and built to help others find clarity on their own path forward.
The earlier a person understands what’s ahead, the better prepared they can be. That’s why we’ve launched an outreach initiative for defense attorneys—the first people to guide justice-impacted individuals at the start of their journey. We provide free resources attorneys can share with clients to help them begin documenting their efforts and preparing for success. By introducing these tools early, we aim to shift the focus from fear and punishment to purpose and progress—and build the foundation for long-term reform.
We reach out to prisons and jails across the country every day, offering free resources any institution can use to help people prepare for success. No budgets, no contracts—just access to tools that support learning, reflection, and growth. Whether someone is in general population or solitary confinement, they should be working toward a better future, regardless of anyone’s ability to pay. We strive to build strong, collaborative relationships with institutions—and to overcome the cynicism and obstruction that too often stands in the way of progress.
Many people in prison don’t have access to classrooms—but that shouldn’t stop them from learning. Through our Book Program, we publish titles on personal development, preparation, and self-advocacy, all available on Amazon. Families and institutions can order directly, or request free copies through our scholarship fund if resources are limited. We distribute books throughout the year to ensure that people—even on lockdown or in solitary confinement—have tools to grow. All proceeds from book sales support our nonprofit mission. Our [Book Page] offers insight into each title and how it supports the people we serve.
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Through Instagram, we share a more personal side of our work—highlighting the connection between the decisions people make in prison and the success they can build after release. By showing what preparation, growth, and transformation look like in real life, we aim to reach a broader audience—especially those who may not think about prison reform. Our goal is to inspire empathy, change public perception, and show why we should reward people who work to earn freedom.
On LinkedIn, we connect with professionals who care about justice, opportunity, and second chances. We share excerpts from our educational content and link back to full lessons—showcasing the tools we’ve built to support personal transformation. Our goal is to engage stakeholders in corrections, defense, employment, and beyond. Whether it's a lawyer helping a client, an educator looking for free resources, or an employer ready to open doors, we use LinkedIn to build partnerships that can expand impact and drive systemic change.
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Our Facebook page is a space to build community, share stories, and keep people informed about our daily efforts to improve outcomes in the justice system. We use it to post updates, success stories, and lessons that resonate with families, advocates, and people returning home. Facebook allows us to connect with individuals who may be directly impacted—or simply care about building a system that rewards personal growth. It’s a platform for hope, dialogue, and transparency—and an easy way for others to share our mission with their networks.
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We produce long-form educational videos to support teaching and personal development inside the justice system. While most incarcerated people can’t access the internet, our videos are designed for use by educators, institutions, and volunteers who lead in-prison programs. Each video aligns with our daily lessons and can be used to guide classroom discussion or independent study. We welcome collaboration and encourage teachers to create interactive lessons using our material—because preparation, education, and transparency lead to better outcomes at every stage of the journey.
We create short videos to spark engagement and expand awareness across social platforms like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Twitter. Each video delivers a quick insight, story, or challenge that invites viewers to think differently about justice, accountability, and personal growth. These clips introduce new audiences to our work and direct them toward deeper resources—like our daily lessons and MasterClasses. Branded under Prison Professors, our short videos serve as powerful entry points into a movement that redefines what justice can look like.
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On X, Prison Professors shares real-time updates, lessons, and calls to action that reflect our daily commitment to justice reform. It’s where we document progress, highlight stories, and engage with others to achieve better outcomes. Each Tweet gives people a window into our mission—whether we’re publishing a new lesson, responding to injustice, or amplifying a member’s success story. Our goal is to raise awareness, influence public conversation, and invite others to follow, learn, and share.
We created a point system to encourage justice-impacted people to take daily action toward success. Every time someone submits a journal entry, release plan, biography, or other profile content on Prison Professors Talent, they earn points that reflect their commitment to growth. Our public leaderboard shows who’s making progress—offering motivation, structure, and a transparent way to demonstrate worthiness for relief. This system helps individuals document their journey and build a credible case for why they deserve a second chance.
We believe the most powerful change happens from within. Tribe Points incentivize people in prison to become leaders and ambassadors of personal accountability. When someone encourages a peer to open a profile on Prison Professors Talent, both the ambassador and the new member earn points. This system rewards those who teach others to use our lessons, build their record, and prepare for success. By growing their tribe, participants become part of the solution—proving that progress is possible, and leadership can come from inside the system.
We began building PrisonProfessors.org in December 2024 to document our daily work and offer free, self-directed lessons to anyone preparing for success. Every day since January 1, 2025, we’ve published new content—demonstrating our core value: never ask anyone to do what we’re not doing ourselves. The site includes a Founder’s Section that tracks my personal journey, daily blogs that model accountability, and open access to lessons that can be used by individuals, families, or institutions. As of July 1, 2025, we began formally tracking our traffic—building awareness, growing our audience, and making sure those who need our resources can find them.
We built PrisonProfessorsTalent.com to give justice-impacted individuals a way to document their journey—especially when they have no access to the internet, books, or structured programs. Through this free platform, people in prison can build a profile that shows how they’re using time to grow, reflect, and prepare for success. We offer resources for self-directed study and teach users how to memorialize their progress in a way that others—judges, attorneys, family members, and decision-makers—can see. While the work must happen inside, the profile becomes a tool to advocate for liberty through effort, accountability, and earned trust.
Our weekly newsletter offers a snapshot of what we’re building at Prison Professors—and why it matters. Each issue highlights measurable progress, shares a story that reinforces the power of self-directed learning, and advocates for policy changes that incentivize personal growth. We know the prison system is an entrenched bureaucracy, and real change will require a long-term commitment. Our newsletter keeps that mission front and center, inviting readers to join a growing community that believes people should earn freedom through effort, not just serve time. Participants can subscribe through our webpage, or through Substack.
Our weekly newsletter offers a snapshot of what we’re building at Prison Professors—and why it matters. Each issue highlights measurable progress, shares a story that reinforces the power of self-directed learning, and advocates for policy changes that incentivize personal growth. We know the prison system is an entrenched bureaucracy, and real change will require a long-term commitment. Our newsletter keeps that mission front and center, inviting readers to join a growing community that believes people should earn freedom through effort, not just serve time. Participants can subscribe through our webpage, or through Substack.
We can’t control who chooses to do the work—but we can create the tools, tell the stories, and lead by example. This metric tracks how many individuals have built a personal profile on Prison Professors Talent—documenting how they’re using their time in prison to grow, reflect, and prepare for success. Many people inside live without hope or direction. Our mission is to reach, teach, and inspire them to take action—and show why they are worthy candidates for opportunity, trust, and liberty through merit.
We’re working toward 10,000 profiles. We know that reaching that goal means overcoming real obstacles, including a slow-moving bureaucracy. But with the data we collect in the years ahead, we’ll be able to demonstrate how self-directed programs improve outcomes—and make the case for policies that reward personal growth and allow more people to earn freedom through merit.
To change outcomes, we have to change both the system and the mindset of those inside it. One of the first steps is helping people take ownership of their story. We encourage justice-impacted individuals to write their biographies as part of their profiles on Prison Professors Talent—highlighting how they’re preparing for success and what drives their commitment to change. These personal narratives help others see their potential, not just their past. We promote constant revision and improvement, turning each biography into a living record of growth, effort, and personal development.
Every journal entry is a brick in the foundation of a stronger future. We encourage people in prison to document their daily efforts—reflecting the intentional choices they make to grow, improve, and stay focused on success. These entries offer proof of discipline, mindset, and self-directed progress. Over time, they create a powerful record of resilience—showing stakeholders that someone isn’t defined by their past, but by their commitment to change. Each entry adds value to a person’s profile, turning it into a personal asset that strengthens self-advocacy, builds trust, and helps others see their potential.
Even without classrooms or teachers, a person can choose to learn. We encourage people in prison to read intentionally and reflect on what they learn by publishing book reports on their profile. These reports explain why they chose the book, what they learned, and how it supports their path to success after release. Whether they’re in general population or on lockdown, reading becomes a tool for personal growth—and the book reports become part of a documented record of self-directed learning. This growing archive helps stakeholders see their potential, while strengthening their ability to advocate for themselves through effort and discipline.
A strong release plan shows that a person isn’t waiting for success—they’re building it. We encourage individuals to think like the CEO of their own life: identifying goals, anticipating obstacles, and designing strategies to overcome them. Each plan should prioritize action, demonstrate accountability, and reflect a clear vision for success after prison. Publishing and updating release plans helps individuals document progress, build trust, and show stakeholders they’re serious about making a positive return to society. The more a person refines and improves their plan, the stronger their case becomes for support, opportunity, and earned freedom.
We aim to build a culture of accountability and leadership within the prison system—one member at a time. Each person who uses our program can become an ambassador of the message, helping others build their own pathways to success. This metric tracks how many individuals are actively forming tribes by mentoring and motivating their peers. While we track points earned in earlier sections, this data shows something deeper: how influence spreads. Over time, these numbers will help us demonstrate to administrators, employers, and policymakers that our programs contribute to cultural change—and can support policies that reward personal growth and incentivize excellence.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has approved our course, "Preparing for Success After Prison" as a Productive Activity under the First Step Act. The California Department of Corrections makes several of our courses available in every state prison. People who qualify earn FSA or Milestone Credits, which advance their release dates when they complete our courses. Through our collaboration with the Edovo Foundation we're reaching 1 million people.
We work to be the change we want to see.
The United States incarcerates more people than any other country, with more than 2 million individuals cycling through jails and prisons. More than 6 million people live with a criminal record.
In one way or another, our criminal justice system affects our entire nation. At Prison Professors, our team develops self-directed resources to help individuals who want to return to society with their dignity intact and with opportunities to live as fully-functioning, law-abiding citizens.
With budgets being strained and personnel shortages, those who work in jails and prisons don't always have resources to provide classroom space or even books.
We strive to improve the outcomes of America's jails and prisons by creating books, self-directed courses, daily lessons, along with video and audio files to teach and inspire people in prison.
Through our courses, participants learn how to use time inside to prepare for success upon release. They can develop a more robust vocabulary, they can improve writing and reading skills. They can learn to think differently, developing the CEO mindset.
People who work through our courses leave prison with the skills and resources necessary to succeed. In many cases, we visit institutions to make in-person presentations.