Parallel Workshops
This panel will explore two innovative correctional partnerships that translate human dignity and opportunity into action: (1) reentry-focused outdoor programs modeled after a long-standing Norwegian program, and (2) employment programs that allow incarcerated people to work for external employers in-person or remotely while earning prevailing wages.
A partnership between the Maine Department of Corrections, a community-based NGO, the Norwegian Correctional Services, and the Norwegian Red Cross led to the establishment of a first-of-its-kind outdoor program in the U.S. for incarcerated individuals and correctional officers. For over 20 years, a Norwegian outdoor program has brought incarcerated individuals, correctional officers, and volunteers together on remote sailing expeditions on traditional Viking ships. Drawing from his own experience aboard one of these ships, the Executive Director of the Center for Justice and Human Dignity collaborated with the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Corrections, and the founder of the Norwegian program to establish similar outdoor experiences for incarcerated people and correctional officers in the U.S.
Following Norway’s approach to rehabilitation, the discussion will also detail the process of establishing the protocol for U.S. prisons facilitating incarcerated people working in the community or remotely using technology and earning prevailing wages.
The panel, which includes people with lived experience with incarceration and correctional leadership, will also address broader themes facing correctional leaders seeking to adapt successful rehabilitative initiatives across different national and cultural contexts. Topics will include security considerations, staff readiness, organizational culture, and the challenges associated with integrating nontraditional programming into established systems.
Christopher Poulos is an attorney and the Executive Director of the Center for Justice and Human Dignity (CJHD). He previously served as Director of Person-Centered Services at the Washington Department of Corrections and Executive Director of the Washington Statewide Reentry Council. While at CJHD, Poulos led successful efforts to pass a law substantially increasing release funds in Washington state and he is currently working with multiple federal jurisdictions to launch innovative alternatives to incarceration for people facing criminal charges. Poulos was directly involved with the design and launch of the nation's first federal mental health diversion court in Washington. Poulos also designed and launched the Maine and Washington Pathfinders Reentry-Focused Outdoor Program, which brings incarcerated people and correctional officers out into nature, breaking down "us vs. them" dynamics between incarcerated people and staff and providing participants with hope for their futures.
During law school, he served at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and The Sentencing Project. He graduated cum laude from the University of Maine School of Law, where he represented youth facing criminal charges in the Juvenile Justice Clinic.
Prior to law school, Poulos overcame many obstacles, including tragic family losses, addiction, and federal incarceration. He now dedicates his life to helping others overcome similar challenges. His work and personal story have been featured on The Today Show and NBC News and in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Hill, Crosscut, and The Harvard Law and Policy Review.
Stian Estenstad, born in Trondheim, Norway, has extensive experience in reintegration, and correctional services. With a background in substance use treatment and education from the Norwegian Correctional Service Education Center, he has worked as a prison officer at Ullersmo and Oslo Prisons, where he developed projects aimed at reducing recidivism and supporting individuals transitioning from prison back into society.
In 2004, Estenstad joined the Norwegian Red Cross, where he led the establishment of the “Network After Imprisonment” program — a nationwide initiative designed to support incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals during reintegration. The program has expanded to several major Norwegian cities and inspired similar initiatives internationally.
He also led the development of Norway’s first Reentry Center in Oslo, bringing together social services, education, rehabilitation programs, employment training, and support networks under one roof. The Reentry Center model is now being considered and tested in several Norwegian cities, while both European countries and organizations in the United States have shown interest in receiving assistance to establish similar solutions.
Estenstad has been responsible for a unique rehabilitation program using nature as an arena for change. Through five-day sailing expeditions aboard traditional Viking ships along the Norwegian coastline, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated participants live closely with nature through sailing, fishing, and teamwork. The program received significant national and international attention, and many participants have described the voyages as life-changing experiences that helped them set a new course in life.
Throughout his career, Stian Estenstad has focused on creating meaningful opportunities, dignity, and hope.
