From Incarceration to Liberation: The Leadership Journey
Launched in January 2025 at Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF), The Liberation Lab is Unapologetically HERS’ professional development workshop series for incarcerated women, trans, and gender non-conforming individuals. Designed to build leadership, advocacy, and workforce skills, these workshops provide a transformative alternative to traditional prison programming. As we continue to grow, we aim to expand The Liberation Lab to California Institution for Women (CIW) and beyond, ensuring that more incarcerated individuals have access to meaningful, leadership-based development opportunities.
Liberation Lab Workshop Series
Public Speaking
Leadership Development
Gain the confidence to captivate an audience! This workshop provides tools and techniques to help participants strengthen their public speaking skills. Through practical exercises and expert guidance, you’ll learn to articulate ideas clearly, manage stage presence, and engage audiences with confidence.
Professionalism, Boundaries, and Ethics: Empowering Staff Through Ethical Boundaries
Peer Workforce
Explore the essentials of professionalism, boundaries, and ethics in peer workforce settings. Participants learn to navigate complex interactions, set respectful boundaries, and uphold ethical practices to foster trust and empowerment within their roles.
Participatory Action Research Leadership Program (PARLP) – Train the Trainer
Leadership Development
This workshop equips participants to become facilitators of participatory action research (PAR). Through an intensive train-the-trainer model, participants learn how to lead PAR workshops, teach research skills, and mentor others in using community-driven research as a tool for advocacy and systemic change.
Professional Development Book Club
Leadership Development
Based on The Memo by Minda Harts, this book club is more than just reading; it’s about developing career skills, navigating workplace dynamics, and fostering growth. Join a community of learners who support each other’s professional journeys through thought-provoking discussions and personal reflections.
Lead the Room: Facilitation Workshop
Leadership Development
Designed to hone facilitation skills, this workshop teaches you how to guide meaningful discussions and maintain engaging sessions. Whether you’re leading a team or conducting a workshop, you’ll gain tools for inclusive and effective facilitation that keeps participants involved and inspired.
Creative Writing Workshop
Leadership Development
Our Creative Writing Workshop supports incarcerated individuals in finding and strengthening their voices through storytelling, poetry, personal narratives, and art. This workshop nurtures creative expression as a tool for healing, leadership, and advocacy. Participants explore different forms of writing, build confidence in their ability to share their experiences, and contribute to a collective book project that documents reproductive justice and carceral resistance. The goal is to uplift the brilliance and power of system-impacted writers, equipping them to lead, educate, and imagine new futures through their words.
