Restoring Hope California

08/23/2026

Alternatives to incarceration must be put in place, particularly for mothers and primary caretaker who are survivors of abuse, who've been criminalized for defending themselves from abusers.

One woman violently forced into assisting a murder seeks clemency in Michigan.

08/14/2026

While we all grieve the loss of our beloved Tay, we kindly ask that everyone respect the privacy of her mother and family during this incredibly difficult time.

We understand that many people loved Tay and have questions. Her family will share additional information when, and if, they choose to do so.

For now, please continue to surround them with love, compassion, and space to grieve.🕊️

08/14/2026

With permission from her family, it is with great sadness that we share the passing of Taylor, lovingly known as “Tay,” the voice behind Dedicated to the Incarcerated.

Tay was more than a familiar voice in the prison family community. She was an advocate, a source of support, and someone who used her platform to uplift incarcerated individuals and the families who love them. Her compassion, presence, and commitment to this community touched many lives and will not be forgotten.

There are some people whose impact cannot be measured simply by how long they were here, but by how deeply they touched others while they were.

We extend our deepest love and condolences to Tay’s mother, family, friends, and everyone grieving this tremendous loss.

Events are currently being planned to commemorate Tay’s life and passing, and additional information will be shared as details are finalized and with the family’s permission.

May we honor her by continuing to show up for one another with compassion, care, and love.

Rest peacefully, Tay. Your voice uplifted many. Your light shined bright. Your impact will remain. 🤍

08/13/2026

There is a scholarship opportunity for those who have/had an incarcerated parent and/or family member. This scholarship is awarded to college students every Fall semester. The deadline for this scholarship is September 09th, 2026. An essay question accompanies the scholarship application.

The requirements are as follows:
Applicants must have a parent or family member who has been incarcerated
Applicants must be enrolled in or accepted into an accredited college or university within the United States for the Fall 2026 semester Applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of application

Interested parties can find the application for the scholarship here:

https://www.pullanyoung.com/scholarship

The scholarship deadline is September 09th, 2026.

Any questions or concerns regarding the scholarship can be made to: [email protected]

Please read our requirements and apply now for the chance to receive one of our generous scholarships! Call 936-647-1540 if you have any questions.

08/11/2026

We want to hear from families and loved ones who visit California state prisons.

The Debt Free Justice California Coalition is collecting feedback through a California State Prison Visiting Food Access & Vending Survey to better understand the real experiences families are having with vending machines during visits.

The survey asks about pricing, food quality, availability, broken machines, refunds, affordability, and whether high vending costs are creating financial strain for families during visits.

These experiences matter. The information collected will help identify patterns across institutions and strengthen advocacy around visiting costs, family access, and conditions inside visiting rooms.

If you currently visit a CDCR institution, please take a few minutes to complete the survey and share it with other families who visit.

🔗 Survey Link:
California Prison Visiting Food Access & Vending Survey (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdcdh7Ztx9RipT8m6pq15DMm-tPmEpuyEbGHSkBw2VlSFNIYw/viewform)

Please share widely so we can hear from families across California.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. The purpose of this survey is to better understand the quality, pricing, availability, and consistency of vending machine services in CDCR visiting rooms.The Debt Free Justice California Coalition is considering legislation to lower the price of...

08/10/2026

“If You Can’t Do the Time, Don’t Do the Crime.”

While scrolling social media today, I came across a discussion about the State’s responsibility to maintain sanitary kitchens and safe ventilation systems inside California prisons.

In the comments, someone wrote:

“If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”

It’s one of those phrases that sounds clever because it rhymes, but it falls apart the moment you actually think about what it means.

It reduces an incredibly complicated issue to a bumper sticker.

It assumes every person who enters the criminal legal system knowingly and rationally weighed the consequences of their actions beforehand. It leaves no room for youth, trauma, addiction, mental health, poverty, coercion, impulsivity, wrongful convictions, excessive sentencing, or the countless other circumstances that can shape a person’s path.

More importantly, it ignores something very simple:

Human beings can cause harm, make terrible decisions, be held accountable and still be human beings.

Accountability and dehumanization are not the same thing.

A prison sentence is a loss of liberty. It is not a sentence to unsafe conditions, contaminated food, abuse, medical neglect, humiliation, or unnecessary suffering.

We can believe in accountability while also believing that people should be treated with dignity. Those ideas are not contradictory.

And when we begin saying that unsafe or inhumane conditions are acceptable because someone committed a crime, we should ask ourselves where that logic ends.

Human dignity should not be something a person has to earn.

At Restoring Hope California, we believe accountability can exist alongside dignity, rehabilitation, healing, and hope.

Because no matter where someone is in their journey, their humanity remains.

“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”
Nelson Mandela

08/08/2026

YJC Summerfest 2026!

08/05/2026

Friends Outside is recruiting for a Training and Evaluations Coordinator to support staff training/certifications in our prosocial skill building educational curricula, associated evaluations, and report writing. This job is ideal for someone that wants the variety of hands-on adult education and participation in program planning and evaluation. This is a 100% in office position in Stockton with some travel required. More is in the link below.

1.0 FTE, Hourly
Rate: $28-$30 per hour w/ benefits

Apply here:

The Training and Evaluation Coordinator is responsible for enhancing the effectiveness of our programs and services through strategic training and comprehensive evaluation efforts. This role includes developing evaluation frameworks to measure program outcomes, analyzing data to assess impact, and p...