Law360 Canada (August 13, 2026, 11:34 AM EDT) -- I’ve made the case regularly in these columns that imprisonment, even for a short time, has long-term negative effects on people and makes it harder for people to live positive, pro-social lives. Yet most people who get imprisoned in Canada do not return to prison; high recidivism rates are mainly a result of a relatively small number of people who are imprisoned over and over again.  

In fact, many people with criminal records and a history of imprisonment have gone on to do quite amazing things, even more so because a criminal record creates so many barriers to what you are allowed to do.

A recent book, Global Freedom, which I helped to edit, tells some of these stories — 31 men and women, from 17 countries on all seven continents. The book is a creation of the Global Freedom Fellows, which is in turn pat of the Incarceration Nations Network (INN), a global network that supports, instigates and popularizes innovative prison reform and justice reimagining efforts around the world.

INN is largely the creation of Baz Dreisinger, Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, whose unflagging energy and determination is visible in everything the network does.

Global Freedom Fellows

The Global Freedom Fellows network is an international community of leaders with lived experience of the justice system — that is, people who have spent time in prison. INN supports this network and works to keep the international connections together. The group had its first in-person meeting in April 2026 in South Africa and the book was put together to celebrate that gathering.

The stories of the Fellows, men and women (and one trans person, in Brazil), are both ordinary and remarkable. As one might expect, most of them grew up in very difficult circumstances. Poor. Neglected. Without good role models. Or in communities where gangs and crime were a normal way of life. When you read their life stories it’s no surprise they found themselves in prison.

Many of them experienced very harsh treatment in the “justice” system and in prison. A few were falsely accused and imprisoned, though most freely admit that they committed crimes. Often their legal representation was poor. Many experienced segregation in jail, or were in countries where you only eat as a prisoner if your family brings you food. Others were abused by guards or other prisoners.

Yet all of them found ways to turn their lives around and make a significant contribution to a better and fairer society. Many of them are now involved in community work — helping young people stay out of trouble, working with people in prison or newly released, helping the families of those incarcerated.

For example, Waldemar Cubilla is a professor at the National University of San Martín in Argentina in the Justice and Human Rights program, working with students who are and are not incarcerated. Kofi Danso, in South Arica, oversees two Prison-to-College Pipeline initiatives, one of which offers university-level education in accounting in a prison. Beatrice Hangwende in Zambia was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador, working with the Ministry of Gender to champion women’s rights in female correctional facilities in the country. She also founded her own organization, Restorative Justice for Women Association.

What makes a difference?

An especially interesting aspect of the stories is what the Fellows say about what led to their changed lives. Some of them credit a single person they happened to meet, such as an older prisoner who took an interest in them. Jody Polk, from the United States, wrote “When the elders [women in prison] started mentoring me and teaching me, it was a love and a community I had never experienced before.” Others were given an opportunity to do something positive, often by a non-profit organization working in the prisons.

For some, being able to get an education was the key to seeing a different life for themselves. Joe Kwon, in Australia, traded physical protection for a new prisoner for learning accounting and business, and went on to earn two university degrees. Another powerful motivator was helping their families, especially their children. John Pineda, from the United States, became a single father and realized he had to change his life to parent his daughter properly.

A central theme of these stories is that there is a vast amount of talent and positive contribution locked up — literally — in the people we imprison. These are people who in many cases could make a really positive contribution to the world if they were supported and allowed to do so — as the GFF fellows are doing.  

The Fellows’ stories show the many ways in which we could unleash that capacity if we wanted to do so. Their stories also show that our systems and institutions of policing and imprisonment often work against those positive developments. Education is often unavailable. Post-prison supports are absent and in many places a criminal record makes it much harder to do good in the community.

The Fellows’ stories are inspiring, and if we pay attention they show us that such stories could be much more frequent.

David Dorson is the pen name of someone who went through arrest, case disposition, imprisonment and parole in Ontario a few years ago. Law360 Canada has granted him anonymity because he offers a unique perspective on a subject that matters deeply to many readers, and revealing the author’s identity would make re-establishment in the community after serving his sentence much more difficult than it already is.

The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author’s firm, its clients, Law360 Canada, LexisNexis Canada or any of its or their respective affiliates. This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice.

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