Testimonials

This course showed me that I can do whatever I set out to do no matter how difficult it might seem.

Anonymous Student

2021

I realized I CAN do it as uncomfortable as I thought it was. It helped me believe in myself and my abilities.

Anonymous Student

2021

I feel like I have a whole new area of jobs that I am qualified for and that is a wonderful new insight.

Anonymous Student

2021

Before I realized it I had my own website that I coded, built, and designed myself.

Anonymous Student

2021

This course gave me a change of heart and a lot more confidence to use these new skills in my career.

Anonymous Student

2021

This is an amazing course if you are trying to make a social impact on a subject that means anything to you.

Anonymous Student

2021

Reentry Sisters

We are grateful to [Brave Behind Bars] for launching us into the world of websites and marketing to grow our nonprofit and help women returning from prison.

Reentry Sisters, launched and directed by participants of the 2021 Brave Behind Bars cohort, is a nonprofit organization that empowers formerly incarcerated women by fostering community connections, self-sufficiency, and dignity through a trauma-informed, gender-responsive approach. Reentry Sisters advocates for systemic change, ensuring all women are supported in their transition from incarceration to thriving futures. They envision a world where all women — regardless of gender identity, race, sexuality, class, ability, age, ethnicity, or citizenship status — are embraced, empowered, and supported while incarcerated and in their reentry journey. Through sisterhood, advocacy, and equitable access to resources, Reentry Sisters works to dismantle systemic biases and build pathways to economic justice and lasting change.

Steven Johnson

Full-Circle: From Student to Advocate and Consultant

Through Brave Behind Bars, I learned front-end development and rediscovered belief in my potential.

"When I first enrolled in Brave Behind Bars, I had just been released from prison. My parole officer gave me two weeks to find a job, no leads, just a determination to change my narrative. Out of desperation, I Googled my way to Lee Perlman and Carole Cafferty at MIT, sending a cold email that unexpectedly opened one of the most meaningful doors of my life."

"Through Brave Behind Bars, I learned front-end development and rediscovered belief in my potential. After completing the program, I returned as a teaching assistant, supporting incarcerated students as they built their first websites. This experience transformed me into both mentor and translator, bridging technical concepts and lived experiences across seemingly impenetrable boundaries."

"In December 2024, CNN profiled my journey in 'Inmates are learning to code in prison. Jobs may be hard to come by.' The piece elevated not just the program but the broader conversation about what authentic rehabilitation in tech can look like. Shortly after, a filmmaker developing a feature-length script on incarceration contacted me. Referred by Marisa Gaetz, I joined as a film consultant, reviewing the script for authenticity, guiding the depiction of prison dynamics, daily routines, and realistic tensions. This opportunity reaffirmed something I often say: people with lived experience are experts, too. Whether I'm refining a line of code or a line of dialogue, I remain committed to using my perspective to build systems and stories that are more honest, inclusive, and human."