Social isolation is a defining feature of incarceration, negatively impacting both residents and staff. In most settings, people mitigate these harms through social networks, community engagement, and technology. In prison, however, these opportunities are severely restricted, requiring innovative approaches to foster connection and well-being.
Attendees will hear directly from stakeholders, including Washington Department of Corrections staff, a formerly incarcerated participant, and a University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) expert, who have played a role in developing and implementing Cell-to-Cell (C2C), a virtual exchange program connecting incarcerated individuals and correctional staff in the U.S. with their counterparts in Norwegian prisons.
Developed by a resident advisory council at Stafford Creek Corrections Center in collaboration with Amend at UCSF and the Washington Department of Corrections, C2C fosters mutual learning, peer support, and cross-cultural exchange to counteract the isolating effects of the carceral environment. Over two years, residents and staff in paired U.S. and Norwegian prisons engaged in virtual discussions exploring correctional culture.
Using an implementation science approach, this session examines C2C’s impact on social connection, institutional culture, and system-wide change. Drawing on data from focus groups and semi-structured interviews, this presentation examines C2C’s impact, highlighting its successes, challenges, and considerations for expanding the model across correctional settings.
×
Ginny Oshiro M.A.
Program Manager, Amend, University of California, San Francisco, USA
Ginny Oshiro is a Program Manager at Amend at University of California, San Francisco, where she works as part of the Strategy and Innovation team to support and advance innovative projects that promote health-driven culture change in U.S. prisons. She brings lived experience as a formerly incarcerated person and has worked closely with organizations serving currently and formerly incarcerated populations, leveraging her firsthand perspective alongside experience in research and policy advocacy in the criminal legal reform space.
Amend is a public health and human rights program that works inside prisons to reduce their debilitating effects on residents and staff while collaborating with policymakers and community leaders to advance decarceration strategies and build a more just system of accountability and healing. By applying international best practices in corrections, Amend aims to reduce harm and improve the living and working conditions within U.S. prisons, focusing on staff training, public education, advocacy, and policy-oriented research. Through movement-building and engaging a broad network of stakeholders, Amend works to reject the punitive status quo and replace it with evidence-based, humane, and health-focused solutions for transforming incarceration in the U.S.
×
Kabrina Riley
Women’s Prison Division WA Way Program Manager, Washington State Department of Corrections, USA
Kabrina Riley is the Women’s Prison Division Washington Way Program Manager for the Washington State Department of Corrections. She oversees the Washington Way culture change initiatives at the Washington Corrections Center For Women in Washington, including the Cell-to-Cell program. Kabrina supports efforts to foster meaningful dialogue, trust, and positive culture change within correctional facilities. She is committed to creating opportunities for residents to engage in personal growth and transformation.
×
Jorrell Hicks
Founding Member, Stafford Creek Cell-to-Cell Program, USA
Jorrell Hicks is one of the founding members of the Cell-2-Cell program at Stafford Creek Correctional Center, a project developed while he was a resident at the facility. From its inception, he played a key role in shaping its growth and impact. Since his release, Jorrell has remained actively involved, contributing to its ongoing development. Now home, he has started a business and remains committed to giving back to his community while actively seeking opportunities for learning, leadership, and personal growth.
