Investing in the Human Infrastructure of Prison Reform
Justice Trends magazine interviews Amend’s Founder and Director, Dr. Brie Williams.
What is ‘Progression?’
The promise of corrections is not simply to hold people accountable, but to create the conditions for growth, change, and a better future.
From Fishing Poles to Forest Trails: Progression Through Service in Washington
At Brownstone Reentry Center, correctional culture change means turning everyday acts of service into opportunities for residents to build skills, strengthen community connections, and prepare for life after incarceration.
The Moth x Amend: Inspiring Change
Hear directly from correctional staff, healthcare providers, and formerly incarcerated people about the impact of our work.
What is ‘Dynamic Security?’
Safety and security in correctional institutions is founded on three foundational pillars: static security, organizational security, and dynamic security.
Opportunities to Optimize Programming to Support Health and Wellness in California’s Women’s Prisons
This report is the first in a three-part series by Amend aimed at identifying strategies to support and empower people incarcerated in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)’s women’s prisons to improve their health and wellness. It includes recommendations to reimagine California’s women’s prisons with a focus on health, wellness, and empowerment through the creation of health and wellness centers and an emphasis on individualized rehabilitation. It includes action steps to ensure that programming is gender-responsive, trauma-informed, timely, accessible, high-quality, relevant, and delivered in a safe environment.
A Superintendent Leads Rehabilitation Through Humanization and Mentorship
The harsh and often dehumanizing approach in many U.S. prisons can have negative impacts on both incarcerated people and prison staff, while leaving little room for rehabilitation. But a different way is possible.
Inside Washington State Prison’s Run Clubs
Meet the Concrete Conquerors, a prison-based WA State Run Club that’s been logging miles since 2024.
What is ‘Normalization?’
Most incarcerated people will eventually return home, and the conditions they face while incarcerated will have a profound impact on whether they will be successful when they do. When incarceration is isolating, harsh, and unrepresentative of daily life, people become conditioned to an environment and to behaviors that are disconnected from what we expect of members in our communities. In direct response to that reality, the principle of normalization […]
Emerging Innovations to Optimize Women’s Health, Wellness, and Empowerment in Prison
The second in a three-part series by Amend aimed at identifying strategies to support and empower people incarcerated in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)’s women’s prisons to improve their health and wellness, this report draws from international examples to present approaches that other prison systems have deployed. The report describes each practice, its connection to health impacts, and actionable steps for implementation in California.