The LAST MILE

Darryl Norcott, Director of Community Partnerships and Special Projects at AMEND, explains how AMEND uses a public health framework to address harm inside prisons. Instead of looking only at punishment or control, this approach asks deeper questions: What conditions are causing harm? What environments are people exposed to? And what kind of care, support, and rehabilitation would help people return home healthier, safer, and better prepared for their communities? Public health is recognizing that people cannot all be treated with the same one-size-fits-all response. Inside carceral settings, true rehabilitation requires individualized care, right support, at the right time, for the right person. When prisons become places of health, learning, and rehabilitation, the impact reaches far beyond prison walls. It strengthens families, improves reentry, and helps create safer communities for everyone. Watch the full episode on AMEND at The Last Mile Radio at the link below:lnkd.in/gTZGWERF #TheLastMile #TheLastMileRadio #TheBrennanCenterForJustice #VeraInstitute

Yesterday, The Last Mile hosted an event at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center that had one focus: The Future of Rehabilitation. 80 correctional leaders and industry change-makers from across the country converged to see the most technologically advanced prison educational facility in the world. We were joined by dozens of current SQRC residents who are working every day to build a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities. We toured a facility that is changing the way we imagine prison educational programming. We showcased technology that is primed to transform correctional facilities from coast to coast. Most importantly, the residents had the opportunity to show their remarkable skills and projects to the world, displaying their total dedication to success after incarceration. With so many incredible people and organizations to acknowledge, we will keep it simple for now - Thank you, to our friends and partners, for joining us. Together, we are Paving The Road To Success. With @CACorrections @CDCR #TheLastMile #PavingTheWay Photo credit: Matthew Kadi

Reentry is the process of returning home after incarceration—rebuilding a life, reconnecting with community, and navigating employment, housing, and identity in a world that kept moving. Recently, @BrennanCenter For Justice released a national report on Prison Reform that highlights how we can reimagine incarceration in the United States. LB Eisen- Senior Director for The Brennan Center for Justice, explains that outcomes can improve when preparation for release from prison starts on day one. The research highlights how traditional prison environments limit autonomy and disconnect people from real-world responsibilities, making successful reintegration harder. Normalization shifts that reality by structuring daily life around dignity and practical skills like cooking, communication, and shared routines, helping people build the foundation they need before they ever walk out the door. Nearly everyone who is incarcerated will eventually return home—to our neighborhoods, and workplaces. Will they return with the tools to work, communicate, and contribute? Watch the full episode of The Last Mile Radio at the link below: thelastmileradio.org/podcast/restor…

@tseelig Seelig sits down with @melrobbins, on The Mel Robbins Podcast to share the work she’s been a part of for over a decade inside San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. The Last Mile has helped bring entrepreneurship, and coding education to people who are incarcerated—many of whom have faced incredibly difficult life circumstances. Inside these classrooms, individuals begin to see something different for themselves. They learn how to shift their thinking, take ownership of their future, and unlock possibilities they once believed were out of reach. One shift in mindset can be the moment everything changes for those who are incarcerated. Catch the full episode on The Mel Robbin's Podcast on your favorite podcasting app: youtube.com/watch?v=EvEsWp… and to learn more about The Last Mile visit thelastmile.org #TheLastMile #TheMelRobbinsPodcast #SecondChances #Reentry #JusticeReform

Artificial intelligence is transforming the workforce, but individuals impacted by the justice system may be at risk of being overlooked in this rapidly evolving job market. Thank you to @masslivenews and @H_Morrison44 for their in-depth analysis of how The Last Mile, which operates in several states, is providing training for in-demand careers to help incarcerated individuals successfully reintegrate into their communities. masslive.com/news/2026/04/m…

Normalization is the idea that prison should mirror everyday life as much as possible, where the sentence is the loss of liberty and everything else supports dignity, responsibility, and human development. The recent Prison Reform report from the @BrennanCenter For Justice makes it clear that daily life inside prison shapes what happens when people come home. When people are denied privacy, dignity, and responsibility, the system reinforces disconnection from real life. Restoring Promise, a unit-based prison program from the @verainstitute Of Justice, flips that reality by redesigning prison culture around human dignity, mentorship, and everyday routines that reflect the outside world. As described in this episode, normalization can be as simple as privacy, communication, and access to learning, yet those basics rebuild identity and prepare people for success. This is where Director Chloe Aquart stands out, leading work that brings these principles to life and proves that culture change inside prison is possible at scale. Watch the full episode at the link below: thelastmileradio.org/podcast/restor… With @robertproche #TheLastMile #TheLastMileRadio #BrennanCenter #PrisonReform #RestoringPromise

What does it mean to rethink incarceration in America? In our recent episode of The Last Mile Radio, @lbeisen Eisen, Senior Director of the Justice Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, breaks down the thinking behind one of the most comprehensive reports on prison reform released this year. The @BrennanCenter report examines a system that has failed on multiple levels. It looks at the lived experience of incarceration, the impact on families, and the toll on correctional staff who operate in high-stress, often unsafe environments every day. It also highlights a critical gap, most prisons are not equipped to address the root causes that lead people there in the first place, including lack of education, job access, and mental health support. At the same time, the report identifies where real momentum for change is sprouting: Across the country, there are programs working inside correctional systems to reduce violence, improve daily conditions, and create pathways for successful reentry. Organizations like The Last Mile are part of that effort, partnering directly with departments of corrections to build practical, scalable solutions. The report brings these efforts together in one place, showing how different models are beginning to reshape what incarceration can look like when dignity, safety, and opportunity are prioritized. This is why the report matters. It does not just describe what is broken. It documents what is working, and why it works. Watch the full episode of The Last Mile Radio: thelastmileradio.org/podcast/restor…

As we celebrate Second Chance Month and National Volunteer Week, we invite you to make a meaningful impact in your community! Join us in supporting the incredible journey of justice-impacted people who are paving the way for a brighter future after incarceration. Visit The Last Mile online today to learn how you can volunteer your time, skills, and passion. Your involvement can help create opportunities for those seeking a second chance. Together, we can empower lives and foster long-term stability! For more information go to: paving.thelastmile.org/volunteer/

Real rehabilitation requires systems that prepare people for the world they are returning to. The Last Mile’s 2025 Annual Report shows how education, technology, and reentry support work together to create real pathways forward. Inside, you will see how programs are evolving to match today’s labor market, how the PATH framework builds skills in tech, business, and entrepreneurship, and how reentry support continues beyond release. The report also highlights our remarkable partnerships, experiential learning with leading companies, and a growing national model that connects education to long-term stability and opportunity for justice impacted individuals. Explore the full report and see how this work is driving change: paving.thelastmile.org/annual-report/ #TheLastMile #TheLastMileRadio #AnnualReport

What if United States prisons centered human dignity over harsh punishment? Vera experts sat down with @TLM to share Restoring Promise’s work to transform prison cultures and better prepare people for life after release: youtu.be/OvP6fKDJx3I?si…

The way we design daily life inside prison determines whether people leave prepared for a successful reentry. In collaboration with the @BrennanCenter, our most recent episode of The Last Mile Radio breaks down the core ideas reshaping incarceration across the country, including normalization, human dignity, and dynamic security. Grounded in the Brennan Center for Justice’s national report, this episode maps out the design principles driving real change across U.S. prisons, then moves into a deep dive on Restoring Promise as one of its most compelling case studies. The episode breaks down how the Restoring Promise restructures daily life around dignity, mentorship, and preparation, and what that shift means for young adults and staff living and working inside these units. Founded by the @verainstitute , Restoring Promise is a unit-based initiative that reimagines prison environments for young adults by centering daily life around human dignity, mentorship, and preparation for successful reentry. Nick Turner, President and Director of the Vera Institute, describes to @robertproche the origin story of Restoring Promise into focus during the episode. His experience visiting German prisons shows what it looks like when systems are built around preparing people for life after release from day one. That exposure led to the creation of Restoring Promise, grounded in the idea that the loss of liberty is the punishment and everything else should support growth. 🎧 Tune in to this episode at thelastmileradio.org/podcast/restor…

In February, @TLM proudly celebrated ten students at Montana State Prison who graduated from its year-long web development program. The MHTBA congratulates them on this incredible achievement! Watch the MT TLM graduates in action. bit.ly/4tsar1l

@MCHammer @TLM @MCHammer an inspiration for the new San Quentin Rehabilitation Center

A year and a half sober, Kevin McCracken got his first shot at a social enterprise screen printing shop—built for people rebuilding their lives. What started as an opportunity became ownership. He rose to manager, then co-founded a thriving social enterprise in San Francisco—Social Imprints. Along the way, a simple client relationship turned into something bigger. Through orders, events, and shared purpose, he connected with The Last Mile—and eventually found himself inside San Quentin. This is the power of being seen—and the responsibility that comes with it. Because when one person is given a real chance, they don’t just change their life. They help others believe it’s possible too. The social enterprise model has become an essential aspect of The Last Mile's impact accross the country - learn more about why social enterprises work by checking out this episode frm CALCTRA today: youtube.com/watch?v=Aeh5Wx… #TheLastMile #SocialImprints #SocialEnterprise

@StandTogether 👏👏

When Alyssa Tamboura was 11, her father was sentenced to 15 years in prison. She never got to say goodbye. For the next decade, she told people he died in a car accident. It was easier than explaining the shame. By 17, she had dropped out of high school and was raising a son alone. Her father spent those same years writing her letters, sending birthday cards, and calling whenever he could. She never opened the letters. When she finally visited him as an adult, he hugged her before she could say a word and apologized for everything. She went home and read every letter in the box. Her father found The Last Mile, @TLM, while incarcerated, a program that teaches coding and software engineering to people preparing for reentry. He learned to code, worked as a web developer from inside prison, and presented a capstone project to Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan. Watching him rebuild made her believe she could too. Alyssa earned her GED, enrolled in community college, transferred to UC Santa Cruz, and eventually graduated from Yale Law School, where her father attended her college graduation. Second Chance Month is a reminder that cycles of trauma rarely break on their own. They break when people are seen, supported, and given something real to work toward. "My fate is not predetermined," Tamboura said. "I get to decide what my life is and what my life looks like, not the criminal justice system. I took back that power." Read the full story here: bit.ly/4mhuKvg

When Jerry Killedjian came home he was a reflection of transformation- from the inside out. After decades behind the wall, Jerry reached a moment that changed everything: his sentence was reduced after more than 30 years. But even then, he still had to stand in front of the parole board and prove that he had transformed. Today, Jerry is thriving in society and continuing that same work through The Last Mile—using his experience to guide, mentor, and create opportunities for others coming home. Pathway to Reentry is Jerry’s lived blueprint, and a guide shaped by the exact process he went through. If you or a loved one is in need of this guided help, go to: thelastmile.org/preparing-for-… #TheLastMile #SuccessAfterPrison

Moments like this show how policy and real-life outcomes are deeply connected.

What is the point of prison—punishment, or transformation? We are seeing a new answer to that question at the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. Once one of the most notorious prisons in the country, it has undergone a historic shift toward education and job training. In the latest episode of the Beyond The Brief Podcast, @ Robert P. Roche III breaks down an important reality that our country faces: Nearly everyone inside of a prison will return to our communities. The real question is - what kind of neighbor would you like that person to be? Tune in to Beyond The Brief to hear how classrooms and tech hubs are replacing outdated systems to reduce recidivism: open.spotify.com/episode/4VwJ8y… #TheLastMile #BeyondTheBrief #ReduceRecidivism