Two New Tools to Put Resources in Our Community's Hands

At Prison Professors, our mission has never changed: to improve outcomes for the people who go through America's criminal justice system, and to build merit-based pathways that help them earn their way toward success. What does change is how we deliver on that mission. As our community grows, so does our responsibility to meet people where they are — and increasingly, where they are is on a phone.

That's why we want to share an update on two major initiatives we're building right now. Both are designed to do the same thing from different angles: put real, useful resources directly into the hands of the people who need them most.

1. A Mobile App for Our Profiles Platform

Our profiles platform has always been about one thing — giving people a way to document their journey and demonstrate their commitment to preparing for success. It's where the pursuit of excellence becomes visible: the courses completed, the goals set, the progress made, the record of a person working every day to become the change they want to see.

Right now, we're bringing that platform to a dedicated mobile app.

The goal is simple. We want people to be able to build, update, and share their profile from the device they already carry, without friction and without barriers. A mobile app means the work of self-improvement doesn't have to wait for access to a computer. It means progress can be recorded in the moment. And it means the people in our community can carry the evidence of their transformation with them — ready to share with mentors, employers, administrators, and anyone else who plays a role in opening doors.

Just as importantly, this strengthens the foundation of everything we do. The more people who engage with our profiles platform, the stronger the case we can build for reforms that reward preparation and merit. Every profile is part of a larger story we are telling about what's possible when people are given the tools and the incentive to prepare.

2. A Reentry Resource App

The second initiative addresses one of the hardest moments in any person's journey: the transition home.

We know the statistics. People coming out of prison tend to face one of five outcomes — unemployed, underemployed, homeless, back in trouble with the law, or successful. The difference between those outcomes often comes down to something deceptively simple: knowing where to turn, and being able to find the right help at the right time.

So we're building a reentry resource app to make that easier.

Our vision is a tool that helps people quickly find the resources that matter most during reentry — the kind of practical, local, on-the-ground support that determines whether those first weeks and months lead toward stability or back toward crisis. Instead of navigating a confusing maze of scattered information, a person should be able to open an app and get pointed toward help that's relevant to them and their situation.

This is about removing barriers. It's about making sure that no one fails simply because they couldn't find the support that was out there all along. And it's about extending the reach of our mission beyond the walls — meeting people at the exact moment they're rebuilding their lives.

Why This Matters

Both of these apps come back to the same core belief: that people are far more likely to succeed when they have the tools, the confidence, and the resources to prepare. A mobile profiles platform helps people build and carry the record of their own transformation. A reentry resource app helps them find their footing when they need it most.

These are exactly the kinds of resources our community has asked for, and they're exactly the kinds of tools that can help end intergenerational cycles of recidivism and poverty. We're grateful to everyone whose support makes work like this possible, and we're excited to keep you updated as both projects take shape.

More to come. Stay tuned.