Some people who would otherwise be dead are alive today, but for our work. Some for whom we gave it our all are gone, and, yes, some have returned to prison. But most have not died from overdose, not died from suicide, have not recidivated, in fact, have gone on from Washington State Department of Corrections' and Federal Bureau of Prisons' prisons to build stellar lives and attain happiness.  Emma Hogan, Makena Kerns, Ari Kohn, and Mike McCormick, talked about the last 16 years on our monthly radio show with KODK 96.9 FM Seattle.

It would be impossible to recall the last 16 years without thanking the following people and entities:

• Barbara F. Hinebaugh, soon to be 101, who partnered with Ari to fund the initial years of the Post-Prison Education Program. A conservative Republican who followed Senator Adam Kline’s dictum to be “smart on crime” (rather than “tough on crime”);
• Google, Inc. and Googlers who joined with Doris Buffett to sustain our work beginning in 2010 and continuing to this day;
• Doris Buffett, the passionate Angel who reached out to us in 2010 and funded to carry our non-profit into the future time and again. A favorite photo in our office is Ari at dinner with Doris in June 2015 talking about her greatest passion: working for those suffering serious mental illness;
• Thanks to the Federal Bureau of Prisons for instilling the anger and rage within Ari Kohn that has fueled the Post-Prison Education Program non-stop since Tuesday, 23 August 2005.
• And most of all to the magnificent people who have become part of our lives during incarceration and then gone on to prove time and again that despite governments’ boundless failures, given opportunity they can, will, and do make society immeasurably better than it was during their absence.