Our Mission

Our work is a reminder of our shared humanity. We seek to break down the walls and stereotypes of prison life and to humanize the lives behind the bars. With the use of social and restorative justice reform we give people the opportunity to improve the lives of the underserved. We strive to provide a collective place to share resources, beliefs and to promote activism regarding social justice.

In 2018, Diane Kahn, a teacher inside San Quentin was inspired by the storytelling project, Humans of New York and her passion to share the voice of the men inside. The idea began to take shape with a conversation between Diane and James King, an accomplished incarcerated writer at the time. James suggested Diane meet with Juan Haines, Senior Editor of the San Quentin News. From the moment Juan and Diane sat down, they shared the passion to interview the men in blue and share their stories with the outside world.