Global Freedom

What if the people most impacted by prisons hold the clearest vision for justice reform? Global Freedom: Lives and Lessons from Formerly Incarcerated Leaders from Around the World brings together the powerful voices of 30 alumni from Incarceration Nations Network's Global Freedom Fellowship program, presented in their own words. Spanning Africa, the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean, these firsthand narratives reveal the depth of human potential too often dismissed or silenced within prison systems worldwide. Through personal testimony and bold ideas for change, contributors examine the global crisis of mass incarceration and outline practical, community-driven pathways toward safer, more inclusive societies. Their stories challenge stereotypes, illuminate systemic failures, and demonstrate how lived experience can drive innovative reform at both local and international levels. At once urgent and hopeful, Global Freedom reframes justice not as punishment, but as opportunity, dignity, and transformation. It is ideal for students, scholars, policymakers, advocates, and organizations engaged in criminal justice reform, human rights, restorative justice, and global social change.