Strengthening a Foundation for Health and Justice across Wisconsin Communities

Awarded in 2026

Updated Jul 13, 2026

At a Glance

This project, Strengthening a Foundation for Health and Justice across Wisconsin Communities, led by the Wisconsin Prison Partnership is building on nearly 20 years of restorative justice programming established through the Prison Ministry Project (PMP) to create a sustainable, independent nonprofit that expands opportunities for healing for individuals, families and communities impacted by incarceration. Since 2006, PMP has facilitated more than 100 restorative justice groups in 10 Wisconsin prisons, bringing more than 1,500 incarcerated individuals into dialogue with community volunteers. As demand for programming has grown, the organization has expanded to two women’s prisons, supported book clubs for incarcerated peer support specialists in nine prisons and launched a restorative justice program for recently released women. Through this project, the Wisconsin Prison Partnership will strengthen its organizational foundation to sustain and grow this work while advancing partnerships that address incarceration as a social determinant of health.

The Challenge

The Prison Ministry Project has experienced significant growth in both the reach and demand for its restorative justice programming, expanding from an average of 5–6 groups annually before 2019 to 21 groups across 2024 and 2025, while serving individuals in 10 state prisons and launching new initiatives for women and peer support specialists. Building on this momentum, volunteers and supporters established the Wisconsin Prison Partnership as a new independent nonprofit to carry this work forward. However, as a newly formed organization, the Wisconsin Prison Partnership must build the organizational capacity needed to sustain and expand its impact. This includes developing a new organizational identity and structure, hiring an executive director and additional staff, establishing long-term financial sustainability and expanding partnerships and volunteer networks to meet the growing demand for restorative justice programming across Wisconsin.

Project Goals

To build a strong and sustainable foundation for the newly established Wisconsin Prison Partnership, the organization will strengthen its leadership, organizational systems, financial sustainability and partnerships. To accomplish this, the organization will implement a transition-planning process that ensures the successful transformation of the Prison Ministry Project into the Wisconsin Prison Partnership.

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