Unapologetically HERS · In Partnership with CCWP
Resentencing
PLEASE
A peer-led program expanding access to resentencing relief, building legal literacy, and strengthening collective advocacy — from the inside out.
A joint program with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP)
About the Program
What Is Resentencing PLEASE?
Resentencing PLEASE is UAHERS's peer legal education and advocacy program, developed in partnership with the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP). It centers the knowledge, leadership, and lived experience of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people in the fight for resentencing relief.
The program is grounded in a core belief: the people most impacted by unjust sentencing are the most powerful advocates for changing it. Resentencing PLEASE creates paid pathways for those people to lead — inside facilities and beyond.
Led by people with lived experience — not legal strangers, but trusted community members who understand the system from the inside.
Focused on real pathways — AB 600, SB 1437, AB 2942, the Racial Justice Act, and more — making complex law accessible and actionable.
Building lasting legal literacy through monthly clinics, workshops, and resources so people can advocate for themselves and their community.
Bridging education with action — connecting legal knowledge to real advocacy, organizing, and systems change.
Holistic, peer-centered support throughout the resentencing process — from intake to hearing prep to reentry planning.
A two-way flow of knowledge and advocacy between inside leaders and outside partners — because transformation happens in relationship, not in isolation.
Our Foundation
Where We Started: 2024–2025
Resentencing PLEASE grows from years of research, community leadership, and proven impact inside California's women's prisons. Here is the full story of what we built — and what we learned.
UAHERS's inaugural PARLP cohort — five community researchers working inside CCWF — produced the Pathways to Freedom toolkit: a community-created guide to navigating California's resentencing laws. This foundational research became the launchpad for the fellowship that followed.
In partnership with CCWP, UAHERS launched its inaugural 12-month Resentencing Advocate Fellowship. Fellows Amber Bray and Carmel Murphy — both with deep roots in legal advocacy and peer leadership inside CCWF — were selected and compensated to lead peer education and advocacy from within. Angela Zuniga (PARLP alumna) served as Peer Mentor, and Aminah Elster as Fellowship Coordinator.
The fellowship curriculum was designed to move fellows from peer legal support to full systems thinkers and builders — combining legal research, leadership development, workshop design, and advocacy campaign strategy. Fellows completed five core scenario assignments, including drafting resentencing petitions under SB 483 and AB 600, developing a proposed LWOP Sentencing Reform Act, designing and facilitating a legal research workshop, and building original advocacy campaign proposals. Carmel's "Educate, Don't Eliminate" campaign defended prison education programs from budget cuts. Amber's campaign centered strategic organizing against LWOP through peer stories and coalition support.
Amber provided one-on-one peer legal mentorship to more than 25 individuals throughout the fellowship year. Carmel facilitated two formal workshops at CCWF, reaching 19 participants, creating original curriculum and providing legal referrals and individualized guidance. Fellows navigated significant barriers — yard lockdowns, restricted movement, and delays in institutional approvals — through creative outreach using shared spaces like the gym and visiting rooms.
Beyond legal skills, the fellowship invested deeply in personal leadership development. Fellows completed a Leadership Style Quiz, participated in Emotional Intelligence (EI) work focused on recognizing burnout, navigating conflict, and maintaining boundaries, and engaged in structured reflection on their values and advocacy identity. Exit surveys showed a visible shift in how both fellows saw themselves — not only as helpers, but as trusted leaders capable of shifting systems.
During Session 2 of Liberation Labs' Leading the Room workshop, participants applied their new facilitation skills to design peer-led workgroups for their own community. Two powerful proposals emerged — the Resentencing Relief Organization and Drop It Like It's Hot: The Drop LWOP Workgroup. Both were presented to CCWP, who invested in bringing them to life. The fellowship didn't end — it multiplied.
"Amber is someone we know we can go to for real information. She doesn't just talk — she teaches."
"Amber helps guide us through these forms step by step. I wouldn't have completed mine without her support."
"You can't help others if you can't help yourself."
What We Learned
Lessons from the Pilot Year
The 2024–2025 fellowship year was a proof of concept — and a gift of honest learning. The program team documented the following key lessons that now shape how Resentencing PLEASE is designed in 2026:
Assess mentors' reentry realities — time home, employment demands, transportation, bandwidth — before assigning central support roles. Lived experience is essential but must be paired with genuine capacity.
Distribute assignments monthly rather than all at once. Mail materials one month in advance to account for institutional delivery delays. Build in flexibility for lockdowns and disruptions.
The program coordinator role needs protected time and clear boundaries. When one person holds multiple roles, fellows feel the gap. In 2026, the Changemaker Fellowship specifically addresses this.
Emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and leadership style training were among the most valued components. Fellows left not just as legal educators — but as leaders who see themselves as agents of systems change.
Fellows expressed strong interest in deeper connection with outside organizations like DROP LWOP and Writing Warriors. In 2026, the inside workgroups formalize those partnerships as part of the quarterly guest session model.
Implement midpoint surveys, progress tracking sheets, and regular session feedback. In 2026, the Changemaker Fellow role directly addresses this need — tracking responses, organizing notes, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
2026 & Beyond
What We're Building Now
In 2026, Resentencing PLEASE is expanding into a sustained, inside-led model — grounded in peer leadership, monthly open clinics, and a true partnership between inside workgroups and outside advocates.
Inside leadership committee forms. Roles and decision-making are defined. Clinic flow and intake process are designed. Outreach systems are built. Intentional pacing — no clinics held yet.
Pilot clinic launches with structured intake, small groups organized by legal pathway (AB 600, SB 1437, AB 2942, etc.), and an "Ask-It Basket" for anonymous community questions.
Monthly open clinics run consistently. Inside leaders design and facilitate. Outside partners — CCWP, pro bono attorneys, and others — provide research, materials, and technical support.
Quarterly guest sessions with outside advocates, attorneys, and formerly incarcerated individuals who have navigated resentencing — offering legal updates, real-world insights, and sustained momentum.
Inside Leadership · CCWF
The Inside Workgroups
Both workgroups were designed by and for incarcerated people at the Central California Women's Facility. They are the living heart of Resentencing PLEASE in 2026.
A peer-run legal empowerment workgroup ensuring every incarcerated person at CCWF understands their resentencing options and has equitable access to pathways toward release. Monthly clinics function as open legal empowerment hubs — structured, accessible, and centered on peer education and collective support. Participants complete an intake form, are matched to focused groups by legal pathway, and are supported by an "Ask-It Basket" feedback loop between inside and outside advocates.
A peer-led monthly workshop providing legal resources, advocacy support, and community for people sentenced to Life Without Parole (LWOP). Connected to the statewide Drop LWOP Campaign, sessions cover applicable laws, petition filing, mental health and wellness, and stories of people who have achieved relief. Meets the first Saturday of every month in the B-Side Chapel at CCWF. Open to all 35 participants per session, with priority for LWOP-sentenced individuals.
"The fellowship didn't end — it multiplied. Both workgroups were born directly from inside leaders applying their facilitation skills to real issues that matter to their community. That's not a program outcome. That's transformation."
How It Works
A Shared Commitment to Inside Leadership
Resentencing PLEASE is built on a clear principle: inside leaders design and guide, while outside partners support and resource. This is a partnership model — not a service model.
- Design clinic flow and facilitation model
- Develop outreach and sign-up strategy
- Identify and cultivate inside sponsors
- Plan annual clinic themes and quarterly deep dives
- Lead peer education in each clinic session
- Manage the "Ask-It Basket" feedback loop
- Provide research, materials, and logistics support
- Offer feedback after inside drafts — not before
- Coordinate with pro bono attorneys and legal partners
- Manage Changemaker Fellowship stipends and coordination
- Support outside communication and information flow
- Amplify inside leaders' voices and work externally
The Changemaker Fellowship
How the Fellowship Works
The Changemaker Fellow serves as a coordination and communication bridge between inside leaders and outside partners — ensuring information flows clearly, responsibly, and with care. All fellows are formerly incarcerated or directly impacted, and are compensated $500/month for approximately 10–12 hours of work per month ($40/hour equivalency).
The fellow does not serve as a decision-maker or lead facilitator. Instead, the role is designed as an information bridge and coordination support — tracking responses, organizing notes, and ensuring that inside leaders' voices and decisions are accurately communicated to outside partners. The fellowship is intentionally scoped to protect against overwork, and is designed as a learning and workforce development opportunity, not an extractive labor model.
2026 Resentencing PLEASE Fellow
Meet Our 2026 Fellow
Cassandra is a justice-impacted advocate who has served a total of 13 years behind barbed wire fences. Her lived experience with incarceration has deeply shaped her perspective and strengthened her commitment to speaking out for those who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies and is a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor, drawing on both her education and lived experience to support healing and transformation within affected communities. Through her journey, Cassandra has witnessed firsthand the harm that incarceration causes — not only to individuals, but to families and entire communities. These experiences have fueled her passion for justice reform and her dedication to uplifting the voices of people who are too often unheard.
As a Changemaker Fellow with Unapologetically HERS, Cassandra works in advocacy and peer legal education, helping incarcerated people better understand and navigate complex resentencing processes while pushing for real policy change. Today, she is a strong advocate for children of incarcerated parents. She believes in healing and second chances — and uses her voice and experience to stand up for those still incarcerated and support efforts that create real opportunities for people returning home. Cassandra is committed to helping shift the narrative around incarceration and reminding others that people are more than their worst decisions.
Support This Work
Not a Vision.
Work Already Happening.
Resentencing PLEASE is funded through individual donations and foundation grants. Your support directly pays inside leaders for their labor and expertise, and sustains the clinics, fellowships, and advocacy infrastructure that make this work possible.
Support Resentencing PLEASE