About Us
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
The 10P Program has been one of the states best kept secrets for almost a decade now. It has paved the way for the brand of rehabilitation we see today and still leads the way in cutting-edge approaches to how rehabilitative programming is structured and administered.
​
Every 10P Facilitator is trauma informed and most, a former lifer prisoner that, as of now, has participated in or completed a 10P Program prior to release. Based on the PSRM the curriculums are easy to navigate and relate to because they are facilitated by people with shared life experience as the participants and the methods of delivery make the program readily available to groups and individuals at any age and stage of the carceral process. No other program within the state of California has the intersectional nature that allows for occupying all three of these spaces simultaneously and effectively as the 10P Program.
Our Story
The 10P Program was founded on a maximum-security, level IV, 180 design prison, New Folsom, out of necessity. This was in 2014 when the prison was teeming with homicides, suicides, drug overdoses, race riots and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and despair. 10P is an alliteration and stands for: “A Prisoner’s Parole Portfolio is Positive Programming and Prior Preparation that Prevents a Poor Performance”. At the time, a lifer prisoner on the yard, lamented to his then supervisor that the men seemed to have nothing to live for. Her response to me was, “do something about it!” I spent the following months utilizing my phenomenological experiences to craft a curriculum and draw up a proposal that would eventually garner unanimous approval by all Wardensand Educational Heads.
In 2014 the program begun with 30 people. As participation increased in the program there was a noticeable decrease in racial tension and violence on the yard. The decision was made to implement the program throughout the entire institution making it readily available to roughly 2200 people, including those housed in mental health and ad-seg housing. By 2015 the program had earned the front page of the ‘Inside CDCR Newsletter’ (When “P” Stands for More than Parole). Which was unprecedented, unforeseen, and unheard of.
Meet Our Founder & CEO
My name is Samual Nathaniel Brown. I am an artist, an educator, a philosopher, a spoken word poet, and an organizer. I paroled from Lancaster in December of 2021, after serving 24 years in California State Prisons. I did a great deal of maturing spiritually and physically in those 24 years, and through my own healing and transformation, have been able to create pathways for others to realize their potential through social-emotional learning. In addition to my personal experience, I also bring many skills, many of which were honed during my incarceration.
​
After thousands of hours of engaging in all of the self-help programs I could access inside, I learned to lead and facilitate those programs. I went on to found the 10P Program in New Folsom Prison in 2014. The program was geared toward effectuating emotional literacy and showing people that change is possible within themselves. We prepared men to step back into society better than when they came in. The program has a proven success record and has expanded to two additional prisons. At one point, there was a 10-year waitlist to join the 10P program at Lancaster State Prison. This program is closely linked with the Theory of Emotional Illiteracy-Based Criminality, which I also pioneered while inside.
.png)
Initially the 10Ps stood for: A Prisoner's Parole Portfolio is Positive Programming and Prior Preparation that Prevents a Poor Performance. And while it was very inspirational and motivational for those in the carceral setting, whenever I spoke them to somebody that wasn't imprisoned. They would have a hard time seeing how the same principles applied to them. With that said, we went back to the lab and we've now cooked up a new recipe to truly reflect the mission of 10P and all the people we serve in: A Powerful Person's Portfolio is Positive Programming and Prior Preparation to Provide Phenomenal Possibilities. ~ Sam Brown 10P!
.png)
.png)
10P Program Press
Click to view each article
College Behind Bars
Life With The Possibility of Transformation