Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it safe to visit a prison?
While prison is most certainly not a hospitable place, visitors participating in the Douglass Project have no reason to feel concerned about their own personal safety. All our visits will be accompanied by facility personnel, and the incarcerated people we will meet with are primarily facility leaders who serve as mentors and role models.
Additionally, before the visit takes place, all Douglass Project visitors will participate in a robust online training course to ensure they are fully prepared for all aspects of their visit, and they will have ample opportunities to ask any follow-up questions they might have.
2. How does the Douglass Project’s Prison Visitation Program work?
The Douglass Project welcomes visitors from all sectors of the community to participate in our Prison Visitation Program.
Visitor cohorts of 15-20 adults will be comprised of independent individuals, several smaller groups, or a single coordinated entity (such as a book club, church group, or college class), depending on the visitors’ specific goals.
In preparation, visitors will watch a short training video that provides some general background about the criminal justice system, specifics about the facility they will be visiting, and “dos and don’ts” about their visit.
At the visit, participants will be given a tour of the facility (site specific), followed by face-to-face conversation with a similarly sized group of incarcerated adults. These conversations will be led and facilitated by Douglass Program staff, using proven tools and techniques that encourage respectful sharing and honest and dignified discussion.
After the visit, Douglass Program staff will remain connected to both the “inside” and “outside” participants as they process their experiences and leverage their newfound understanding.
3. What will we talk about with the incarcerated people with whom we visit? Are there things we shouldn’t ask?
The Douglass Project uses proven techniques and tools to facilitate honest, open dialogue among all parties during our visitation sessions. Our staff will help lead the conversation so that we can have an open dialogue, while always being respectful of each person’s dignity and humanity.
Incarcerated people, like people everywhere, have varying levels of comfort when speaking about themselves and their lives. As such, we ask all Douglass Project participants—both “inside and “outside” people—to approach every conversation with a deep respect for each person’s dignity.
Also, all Douglass Project participants will undergo a training that specifically addresses this very topic, ensuring that all visitors will first receive valuable guidance on how to approach the experience with mutual sensitivity and humanity.
4. How can I—or my group—sign up to participate and visit a prison?
Those interested in visiting at prison with the Douglass Project can sign up on our website. Someone from the organization will be in touch with you to determine availability in your area and scheduling. If you would like to schedule a group visit, email arose@douglassproject.org.
5. How do you select the incarcerated participants?
The facilities with whom we partner will select those incarcerated people to participate. Often, these men and women will be “long-termers” and/or facility leaders—individuals who have used their sentences to serve as mentors and leaders for their incarcerated peers and can speak to the realities and challenges of incarceration. In no instance will anyone under custody be forced to participate in our visitation program—participation will always be completely voluntary.
6. What is the organization specifically doing to change the public’s perception of incarcerated individuals?
The Douglass Project was founded on the belief that perceptions can only change—both for those under custody and visitors—when real understanding is fostered. As such, prison visits and face-to-face conversations are at the cornerstone of our efforts.
As the Douglass Project evolves and grows, the organization will identify and launch ways for participants to apply their newfound understanding to creating personal and systems change. This will include social media posts, newsletters, a blog, partnerships with direct service providers in the criminal and youth justice spaces, and connections to legislators and policy makers.
7. What inspired the creation of The Frederick Douglass Project?
Dr. Marc Howard, Professor of Government and Law and Director of the Prisons and Justice Initiative at Georgetown University, first visited a prison to see his childhood friend, Marty Tankleff, who had been wrongfully convicted of a brutal double murder. That visit—and his ongoing relationship with Marty—served to reshape the course of Marc’s life and was the genesis of his career transformation into a criminal justice reform leader, both at Georgetown and through the Douglass Project.
Marc’s work in the criminal justice space gave him the chance to see, firsthand, the remarkable transformation that occurred among both prisoners and visitors when they were able to speak to each other directly. Newfound and compassionate understanding gave rise to meaningful shifts in perspectives and attitudes that could be leveraged for significant personal and systemic change.
It is this sentiment and hope upon which the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice was formed. The organization’s name embodies the values and legacy of the great 19th century champion of education, emancipation, equality, and justice.
8. What facilities are you working with?
To date, we are operating in states all across the country. For a more detailed list of states that is updated frequently, see this page to sign up for a prison visit near you!
9. Are there plans to expand globally?
For the foreseeable future, the Douglass Project will focus its programming on prisons in the United States, where the twin problems of mass incarceration and the dehumanization of incarcerated people are particularly acute.