Dan Pacholke is the former Deputy Secretary of the Washington State Department of Corrections—and a well-known prison-reform visionary. Throughout his career, he has helped correctional facilities become successful institutions of rehabilitation rather than institutions of punishment.

Pacholke has strived to make prisons safer and more humane, believing that a better environment for offenders is key to preventing recidivism. His innovative prison programs have significantly improved the safety and wellbeing of both inmates and staff. In this TED Talk, he describes the positive outcomes of enabling prisoners to lead meaningful lives.

Image Credit
Feature: Matthias Müller at flickr, Creative Commons