Letter from Ellen Barry, IPP Executive Director

Warm greetings to all of you reading this, whether you are new to the Insight Prison Project website or you are a returning friend. Many thanks to Jennifer Thompson of the IPP Staff for her excellent work redesigning and upgrading our site. I have just completed my first three months as the new Executive Director of IPP, and I have found the process of getting to know this wonderful organizing at times exhilarating, at times challenging, but always gratifying.

I plan to visit every IPP facilitated group and as many of the special events, workshops, presentations and celebrations as I can. Some highlights in the past few weeks:  visiting San Quentin Radio Project with IPP facilitator, Sonya Shah. and meeting Troy Williams and the talented crew of the newly broadcasting station; witnessing the graduation of a VOEG group; taking Barbara Cushing and Alan Zulch from Kalliopeia Foundation into San Quentin to participate in a VOEG Group facilitated by Karen Jandorf; and meeting with the members of our dedicated Learning Assessment Committee (LAC) which helps IPP to develop evaluations and assessments of our many programs. 

One the one hand, we have suffered a great loss during this past few months with the death of our wonderful and dedicated Board Co-Chair, Nancy Blair. She was a pillar of strength for me, and we will all miss her terribly. On the other hand, we celebrate change and growth in our Board as we welcome three new Board members: Reginold (“Reggie”) Daniels, Jerard (“Jerry”) Elder and Karen Jandorf. We look forward to the months ahead as we continue to diversify and expand our Board, Staff and legions of volunteers, facilitators, the women and men inside and the families and supporters outside the walls. Please enjoy the many stories and items of interest on our wonderful website and come back again to see what we have added!