Great Way for Family and Friends of Offenders to Help!

At A Better Tomorrow (ABT) Community, we are dedicated to helping justice-impacted individuals prepare for a successful life after incarceration. We believe reentry success does not begin on release day — it begins during incarceration, continues through pre-release custody, and extends well into life after reentry.

Philosophically, ABT is committed to supporting individuals through all three phases of this journey.

Today’s blog focuses on one meaningful and practical way family members and friends can support an incarcerated loved one right now. We strongly encourage you to consider this recommendation.

Using Time in Prison With Purpose

Writing this as someone who is currently incarcerated, I can say honestly that too many people in prison fall into unproductive routines — sleeping excessively, watching television all day, or simply passing time. While the reasons for this vary, the result is the same: missed opportunities for growth, reflection, and preparation for the future.

Prison, despite its many hardships, offers something rare in the outside world: time. Time to think. Time to reflect. Time to build habits, values, and skills that can shape a better future. Family and friends can play a powerful role in helping an incarcerated loved one see this time not as wasted, but as valuable.

For me personally, incarceration has allowed me to spend significant time reading the Bible, studying devotionals, attending church, and participating in weekly Bible study. On the outside, even with the best intentions, life’s pressures and distractions often crowd out this kind of focused reflection. If incarceration has offered any unexpected blessing, this has been one of them.

A Practical Tool That Families Can Support: Prison Professors

Another activity that has been incredibly meaningful for me — and one that directly supports communication, accountability, and future employment — is using a technology platform called Prison Professors (www.prisonprofessors.org).

Prison Professors is a nonprofit organization led by Michael Santos, who spent 26 years incarcerated and has since become a nationally recognized advocate for prison reform and successful reentry. The platform allows incarcerated individuals to build a public, positive track record while still inside.

Through Prison Professors, incarcerated individuals can work on and publish:

• Daily or weekly journalsWriting about day-to-day experiences, challenges, learning moments, visits, reading, weather, hopes, and future plans.

• BlogsCovering topics such as education, vocational training, self-help, faith, sports, or lessons learned — anything that demonstrates initiative, thoughtfulness, and growth.

• A Release PlanA structured format that helps outline 1-, 3-, and 5-year goals, housing plans, employment focus, and community support networks.

• Tribe GoalsShort-term goals where family and friends can provide encouragement, feedback, and accountability.

• Book ReportsSummaries of books read, key themes, why the book was chosen, and how the lessons will be applied after release.

  
  

These activities don’t just pass time — they create evidence of growth, responsibility, and planning that future employers, mentors, and supporters can see.

How Family and Friends Can Get Involved

One of the most powerful features of Prison Professors is that it allows family members or friends to become authorized users, meaning you can actively support your loved one’s progress.

To get started:

• Visit www.prisonprofessors.org

• Incarcerated individuals can request access by emailing:interns@prisonprofessors.org

• This email address can be added to the inmate’s Corrlinks contact list for communication

  
  

Your involvement can be as hands-on or hands-off as you choose — offering encouragement, reviewing writing, or simply being present as support.

Why ABT Community Recommends This Platform

You may be wondering why A Better Tomorrow is recommending another organization’s tool.

The answer is simple: effective reentry preparation requires collaboration.

ABT is currently writing a new book designed to help incarcerated individuals do the hard work while they are still inside — so they are better prepared to succeed upon release. That book will incorporate workbooks and resources from Prison Professors and other aligned organizations because we believe in using what already works.

Until our book is published in 2026, we encourage families and friends to help their loved ones start building a successful path right now, rather than waiting.

Helping someone use their time in prison productively is one of the greatest gifts you can offer — and often, families find that they benefit from the process as well.

Final Thoughts

Incarceration does not have to be wasted time. With encouragement, structure, and the right tools, it can become a period of growth, accountability, and preparation for a better future.

We wish both you and your loved one the very best on this journey.

— Bob Jesenik