About the Transformational Prison Project
● About
our story—
The Transformational Prison Project (TPP) was born inside MCI–Norfolk in 2013 after a violent prison riot nearly took the life of the youngest incarcerated person. Lifers, long-termers and volunteers came together to make their community safer, giving rise to restorative justice work. What began in a prison basement grew into 13 programs at MCI–Norfolk and expanded to five additional prisons across Massachusetts.
As laws began to change, many lifers—once considered destined to die in prison—were given the chance to come home. Carrying years of restorative practice and lived accountability, they sought to repair harm beyond prison walls. In 2020, TPP brought this work from the inside to the out.
TPP’s focus shifted to reentry to those who went to prison young and returned home as adults with little support. Grounded in restorative practices and lived experience, TPP now centers healing, accountability, and reentry for people harmed and those who caused harm—especially individuals incarcerated under the age of 21. What began inside prison now lives in the community.
what we stand for—
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Our Mission
The Transformational Prison Project (TPP) exists to encourage healing and accountability, and to change the way that the criminal system and communities respond to harm. We do this by facilitating restorative dialogue across impacted parties – in institutions (Department of Youth Services, House of Corrections), in neighborhoods, courtrooms, classrooms, and in board rooms.
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Our Vision
To challenge and change the way that individuals, the legal system, and communities respond to harm by encouraging survivor-centered, lived-experience-led, community-based responses to harm.
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Our Values
Empathy
We listen with intentionality and work to acknowledge and better understand one another's unique histories, experiences, and stories.
Commitment
We work to show up consistently for ourselves and for one another, recognizing that RJ is not a program but a lifestyle that one must continually commit to.
Respect
We operate from a foundation of respect for one another, viewing differences as areas for education and growth and always assuming good will.
Responsibility
It is our responsibility to acknowledge and challenge the injustices we experience and witness. It is our responsibility to engage in our own healing processes and to share these tools with our community so that we may heal together.
Accountability
We recognize accountability as a form of love and always work to call each other in and hold one another accountable in circle and in community.
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Our Approach
°Lived experience led
Our work is shaped and led by people directly impacted by incarceration, grounding everything we do in real understanding and credibility.°Trauma-informed at every level
We recognize the impact of trauma and create spaces that prioritize healing, safety, and dignity.°Rooted in Community
We build connections that reduce isolation and create a sense of belonging, because healing happens in relationship with others.°Relationship-based, not transactional
We invest in long-term, trust-based relationships rather than one-time services or referrals.°Voluntary participation – everything is an invitation
Participation is never required—people engage on their own terms, when they are ready.°Focused on holistic wellness
We support growth and healing both internally and externally—how we show up as an organization and how participants navigate their lives. -
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Barriers we address
°Cycles of incarceration
We work to interrupt recurring patterns of incarceration by supporting healing, accountability, and long-term stability.°Barriers to reentry
We help people navigate the complex challenges of returning home, including housing, employment, and system requirements.°Lack of tailored mental health support
We provide trauma-informed, culturally responsive support that reflects the lived realities of incarceration and reentry.°Cost of not providing our interventions
Without meaningful intervention, individuals, families, and communities continue to bear the social and economic costs of incarceration.
Our Partners
