The Frontline of Hope: A Tribute to Correctional Educators
Dr. Amy Lopez Dr. Amy Lopez

The Frontline of Hope: A Tribute to Correctional Educators

Correctional educators are often the unsung heroes of the education world. Often unrecognized, under-resourced, and faced with impossible odds, they show up, day after day, in one of the most challenging environments imaginable—and they teach.

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Retreat, Reflect, Return
Dr. Amy Lopez Dr. Amy Lopez

Retreat, Reflect, Return

Our incarcerated students carry stories that matter. They deserve programming that respects their potential and sees their humanity. And the people doing that work—you, me, the folks showing up in prisons and jails with lesson plans and heart? We need care, too.

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Mental Health in the Margins
Dr. Amy Lopez Dr. Amy Lopez

Mental Health in the Margins

Mental health in corrections can’t be an afterthought. It can’t live in the margins. When we invest in mental wellness—for students and staff—we’re not just making people feel better. We’re creating safer environments. We’re improving outcomes. We’re building communities that don’t have to keep coming back through the revolving door.

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Graduation Season, Without the Cap and Gown
Dr. Amy Lopez Dr. Amy Lopez

Graduation Season, Without the Cap and Gown

From kindergarten to college, it’s a season of ceremonies, of endings and beginnings, and of well-earned celebration. But there’s another kind of graduation happening this time of year—one that won’t be posted on Instagram or announced in the family group chat.

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This Mother's Day, Let's Remember the Mothers Behind Bars
Dr. Amy Lopez Dr. Amy Lopez

This Mother's Day, Let's Remember the Mothers Behind Bars

This Mother’s Day, while many of us are celebrating with our families, let’s also hold space for the mothers behind bars—the ones reading bedtime stories over the phone, the ones missing their babies’ first steps, and the ones trying to heal.

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Supporting Student Wellbeing
Dr. Amy Lopez Dr. Amy Lopez

Supporting Student Wellbeing

Every educator—whether in a traditional classroom or behind the walls of a correctional facility or at their dining room table—knows that student wellbeing is the foundation for meaningful learning.

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Prison Labor: Exploitation or Opportunity?
Dr. Amy Lopez Dr. Amy Lopez

Prison Labor: Exploitation or Opportunity?

Every so often, the topic of prison labor comes up in the national conversation, and it’s usually framed as one of two extremes: either a modern form of slavery or a valuable rehabilitative tool. Like most things in life (and in corrections), the reality is more complex. So, grab your coffee, and let’s take a balanced look at the pros and cons of incarcerated labor.

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