For people the system told to give up, The Side Door changes the one thing that changes everything: how they see themselves. We transform culture inside prisons, building identity, accountability, and hope that hold long after release.
Most programs prepare individuals for the day they walk out. The Side Door starts the day we walk in, shifting the environment itself. We build leadership, connection, and accountability from within, creating the conditions where lasting behavior change takes hold.
Rooted in lived experience and evidence-based practice, our work bridges worlds that rarely meet: sports and rehabilitation, discipline and healing, corrections and community.
Who we are →
Mindset Mastery session
A structurally replicable program that strengthens institutional culture. Trauma-informed, evidence-based, and proven across custody levels and state systems. We handle the program; you see the shift in your facility.
Bring us to your facility →Your gift funds identity change with leading indicators of desistance: hope, self-efficacy, and a universal recommendation rate. Private giving and foundation grants both fuel a model built to scale nationally.
Fund the mission →When someone's identity changes, their behavior begins to change with it.
Identity transformation is recognized in criminological research as a necessary precursor to lasting change. We treat people as capable of leadership rather than defined by their past, and the data shows they respond accordingly.
We help people fundamentally change how they see themselves, the root of durable behavior change.
We shift the environment inside the walls so growth becomes the norm, not the exception.
Built and led by people who have walked this road — credible to the people we serve.
An 8-week course on identity, trauma reflection, and a forward-looking mindset, built on Self-Determination Theory, CBT, and Growth Mindset.
8 weeks of emotional regulation, self-leadership, and habit-building — rooted in neuroscience, psychology, and performance science.
Community-building games that unite residents, correctional staff, and volunteers — sparking trust, morale, and connection.
Programming built for women's cohorts: self-love, belief, and a path to a sustainable life beyond the walls.
Showcases of art, music, writing, and innovation that challenge stigma and open real pathways after release.
Curriculum, outcomes, and the evidence base behind every program.
Explore Our Model →
100% said the program made a positive impact
Brett Hollins, Founder
Founder Brett Hollins served nearly four years in Oregon prisons before his sentence was commuted. Inside, sport and education transformed his life. He went on to captain the basketball team at Southern Oregon University — and built The Side Door so the people he left behind could find the same way forward.
Read his story →Tell us about your institution and we'll show you exactly how The Side Door fits, with custody level, logistics, and outcomes included.
Partner with us →Fund the model that's restoring belief in the possibility of change, one facility, one identity, at a time. Private gifts and grants both move it forward.
Fund the mission →