Dr. Amy Lopez 6/1/25 Dr. Amy Lopez 6/1/25

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.

Dr. Amy Lopez 5/25/25 Dr. Amy Lopez 5/25/25

What We Plant Today: Spring Lessons from Correctional Classrooms

Spring reminds us that growth is never instant. It’s a slow, steady push upward. A process. A promise.

Dr. Amy Lopez 5/11/25 Dr. Amy Lopez 5/11/25

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.

Dr. Amy Lopez 5/4/25 Dr. Amy Lopez 5/4/25

Opera in Prison? Getting Inside with Your Program Idea

If you want to do work inside a jail or prison—if you want to bring your passion, your talent, your gift to people who are incarcerated—you have to understand this: the gate only opens when you follow the rules.

Dr. Amy Lopez 4/20/25 Dr. Amy Lopez 4/20/25

Expectations, Second Chances, and What They Really Mean

We throw around phrases like “second chances” and “fresh starts,” but what do they mean when put to the test?

Dr. Amy Lopez 4/13/25 Dr. Amy Lopez 4/13/25

☕ Sunday Morning Coffee: Passion Projects & Prison Classrooms

Nurturing passion is one of the most important gifts we can give a young person. And that’s true whether they're in a suburban high school, a GED program in jail, or a reentry support group in a halfway house.

Dr. Amy Lopez 4/6/25 Dr. Amy Lopez 4/6/25

Why Motivation and Engagement Are Essential in Correctional Education

Education is a proven pathway to opportunity, but for justice-impacted learners, staying motivated and engaged presents unique challenges. Technology can open the door to motivation, inspiration, and aspiration for these learners!

Dr. Amy Lopez 3/9/25 Dr. Amy Lopez 3/9/25

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.

Dr. Amy Lopez 3/2/25 Dr. Amy Lopez 3/2/25

The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing

When we nurture wellbeing in ourselves, it extends outward—to our colleagues, our students, and our communities.

Dr. Amy Lopez 2/2/25 Dr. Amy Lopez 2/2/25

Students with Disabilities: A Hidden Population in the School-to-Prison Pipeline

The school-to-prison pipeline disproportionately impacts students with disabilities, yet their experiences are often overlooked in discussions about educational inequities and justice reform.