On The Inside
On The Inside began with a single class and a belief in the healing power of creativity and connection. Since becoming a nonprofit in 2020, our work has grown from one room to facilities across the country—and now across the world.
In our first year, a 15-member international board helped launch programs in three states. We offered eight class series, awarded scholarships, published our first collaborative book, opened our creative space, and began training a former student to step into the work alongside us.
By year two, we expanded into Wyoming and Nebraska, offering weekly classes and creative newsletters to hundreds of women. Our community grew globally, bringing together formerly incarcerated women and supporters from six countries.
In year three, we served women and youth in six facilities, employed facilitators in five states—including two formerly incarcerated graduates—expanded our outside-the-walls programming.
By year four, we reached our first international facility in Australia and welcomed more returning students into our outside classes, strengthening the bridge between inside and outside communities. While our primary focus is women who are incarcerated or system-impacted, we also facilitate classes for women across the globe—building a broader community rooted in empowerment, connection, and healthy growth.
Today, our work inside prison walls includes ongoing yoga classes, an eight-week Creative Expression series using art, poetry, writing, and movement to explore personal stories, heal past wounds, and support women in moving toward a pro-social life, as well as our upcoming Mother and Child program, designed to strengthen connection, healing, and growth across generations.
Alongside this inside work, we host four community events each year and offer a virtual four-class series for participants outside prison walls. We invite you to learn more about what we do by taking a class and experiencing how this practice moves you closer to yourself.