Flourishing Project
Exploring what human flourishing looks like in unexpected places.
We rarely discuss people serving life sentences who've genuinely transformed. Karen Brown's 40-year journey shows why we should.
What does dignity look like for our unhoused neighbors? Sometimes it is a shower, sometimes it is a mailbox, sometimes it is simply being seen.
Measuring flourishing is not simply about identifying domains or creating a reliable tool. It requires asking questions in a way that respects the dignity and lived experience of the people responding. That cannot be done from a distance. It requires proximity.
This is why prison education isn’t just a moral argument—it’s a practical one. It reduces future crime. It lowers costs. It strengthens communities. And it saves lives, sometimes in the most unexpected places.
This research contributes to a growing body of evidence showing the value of high-quality educational programs in correctional settings—not only for reducing recidivism but for fostering human flourishing.
Mary Flin’s example challenges me to rethink what it means to serve, to listen, and to love my own neighbors. Her life is a living answer to the question: What if every neighborhood had a chaplain?
The evidence is clear: faith-based educational programs like The Urban Ministry Institute offer far more than theological training—they cultivate well-being, leadership, and resilience among incarcerated individuals.
Drawing on research, theory, and firsthand accounts, this chapter interrogates what it truly means to flourish in the least likely of places.
Two programs are successfully addressing criminogenic needs: World Impact's TUMI seminary-level education program offered in prisons across the US, and House of Mercy's re-entry ministry in Washington. These two organizations are effectively reducing reoffending by focusing on addressing criminogenic needs, and we highlight House of Mercy in this post.
You can drive greater impact with data – work with a program evaluator who has a history of publishing research in academic journals to ensure that more people set eyes on your accomplishments. We helped a client get their program expanded into 53 new locations because we published evaluation data in over 25 blogs and in three academic journals.
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We offer:
- Expert program evaluation (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods)
- Data analysis and visualization
- Organizational storytelling and historical writing
- Impact reports for donors and boards
- Long-form narrative writing and editing
We help organizations understand their impact, tell their story well, and design programs that support human flourishing.