Unlocking the human potential in America’s prisons.

Healthier people. Stronger communities. Lower recidivism.

For more than two decades, Shining Light has provided innovative,
evidence-based programs that improve mental health, transform prison environments, and prepare individuals for reentry.

95% of people in prison will be released. Good mental health reduces the likelihood of recidivism by up to 78%.

CASE STUDY ONE:

TRANSFORMING MINDSETS

Achieving a 25% Decrease in Violent Incidents in a Maximum Security Prison

CASE STUDY TWO:

REBUILDING FUTURES

Veterans at SCI-Dallas Find Hope and Purpose with Shining Light Academy

CASE STUDY THREE:

SPREADING HOPE

Residents & Staff Collaborate to Create Supportive Environments

Studies show good mental health increases participation and effectiveness of education, treatment, and vocational training.

Shining Light offers system-strengthening programs that uniquely integrate social-emotional skills with VIA Character Strengths and creative arts to drive positive change.

We have three primary methods for delivering our programs:

DIRECT
FACILITATION

INTERACTIVE MAGAZINE

ORIGINAL CONTENT
ON TABLETS

  • Colby Braun

    Director / North Dakota DOCR

    “Shining Light delivers a service that helps many of our residents put knowledge into action. Our work is to help people be better neighbors when they leave prison for a safer North Dakota. Shining Light is committed to working alongside our team members and residents to accomplish this.”

  • Jeremy

    Academy Graduate & Academy Assistant / North Dakota

    “The Academy fundamentally changed how I perceive and interact with the world around me. This makes you a more engaged, interactive human, a more engaged person. It increased how forthcoming I would be and transparent in my life.”

  • Tim Buchanan

    Former Warden / Noble CI, Ohio

    “The impact Shining Light had upon the men they worked with during the many workshops was truly impressive. Several of the men communicated that the experience was one of the most impactful experiences of their lives. They spoke of being committed to something for the first time in their lives and how their families see them differently now.”

  • Zechariah

    Academy Graduate & Academy Assistant / NDSP

    “Shining Light represents hope, meaning, mercy, gratitude, strengths, spirituality. They provide a platform to see it for yourself and then go after it. It exemplifies what it's like to have a support team, and even when indignities happen, SL shows us how to have dignity. For me it has been paramount.”

  • Lamar

    Tablet User / South Carolina

    “I was browsing through my tablet and Shining Light caught my eye. I started to read The Loop and tears came down my eyes knowing that there are people out there thinking about us… It changed my life for that moment, and I told over 100 men to go on their tablet to read it!”

  • Dr. Ryan Niemiec

    Chief Science Officer / VIA Institute on Character

    “Shining Light’s Character Strengths Video Series is probably the greatest (most well-done) character strengths ‘creation’ for the correctional facility setting/population that I have seen.”

  • Angela

    Loop Reader / South Carolina

    “I fell in love with The Loop the very first time I picked up and read it. It has so much to offer for us as inmates to respond and participate in. I love the detail and colors of the magazine you all go above and beyond.”

OUTCOMES

Mental Health

92% of participants reported an increase in hope,
82% in gratitude,
72% in prosocial intention

Prison
Environments

67% decrease in rule violations
26% increase in positive behavior reports
25% decrease in violent incident reports

Recidivism

55% national average reincarceration rate
5% Shining Light participant reincarceration rate

Learn More About Us

Meet our staff, participants, and administrators at prisons where we work in this short film.
(16 minutes)