We are excited to share the launch of our new website, created to help families, advocates, and community members stay informed, connected, and involved in the work for dignity, accountability, and meaningful reform. Visit www.kylanslight.org to learn more about our mission, explore resources, and share your story.

The 2026 State Legislative session has come to a close, and this year we partnered closely with an advocacy team with experience on capital hill to help us make a big impact. Our Legislative Wrap-Up highlights Kylan’s Light’s this year’s ongoing advocacy for Tennessee prison reform, including efforts to address private prisons, prison mortality, drugs inside facilities, family extortion, and stronger accountability for TDOC and CoreCivic. 

Click here to read the overview of the bills and watch Tim speak before Tennessee lawmakers. 

The new State Families of Incarcerated Individuals Advisory Board was signed into law by the Governor on May 9 and will officially take effect on July 1, 2026. The nine-member board will include appointments from the Governor, the Speaker of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House, with each appointing authority selecting one member from West Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and East Tennessee. During its first three regular meetings, the Board will reserve time for families and members of the public to share concerns, feedback, and lived experiences related to incarceration, with each meeting held in a different grand division of the state. After gathering this input, the Board will prepare recommendations to share with the Commissioner of Correction and legislative leaders with oversight of correctional matters. 

I am deeply grateful to see this policy move from an idea to action, creating a formal path for families impacted by incarceration to be heard at the state level. 

This summer we’re starting our first official program - a lifeskills class and mentorship program in the Wilson County Jail, that will help men have the fundamentals in place they need upon release. We will help them with building an exit plan, connecting them to mentors, and pair this with the concrete tools they need to succeed, like securing housing, ID’s and the other basics they need to rebuild their lives. We are excited to launch our program this summer and will share updates in our next newsletter. To stay connected in the meantime, follow along on social media for updates.