“Inside prisons across the country, face to face with many thousands of women and men incarcerated, I witness the humanity of people who are at their lowest. A decade of speaking in prisons leads me to know that the more we provide equitable services for healing, and healthcare, and mental health resources, along with employment and educational opportunities, the truer this country will be living it’s purpose of freedom for all.”

- Deborah Jiang-Stein

Deborah Jiang-Stein was born in a federal prison to a mother sentenced for drug-related crimes. She’s written about her life story and journey after this in her memoir PRISON BABY (Beacon Press.)

Today, Deborah works to empower and inspire incarcerated women with the hope and tools needed to succeed in life after prison. Her work in the public sector is to invite conversation and engage people in dialogue about solutions and resources for reducing mass incarceration.

Deborah leads the unPrison Project, which works to help women and girls stay connected to their children while building life skills, cultivating critical thinking, and developing plans for life after prison. 

Deborah is the author of Women Behind Bars, featuring collected interviews of incarcerated women, and the memoir, Prison Baby, which details her healing journey beginning with her birth in prison to and ending with her advocacy on behalf of incarcerated women and girls. Her memoir-based play, Lockdown Love, is in development for film and stage. Deborah has been awarded as a L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth honoree. 

In addition to her work with the unPrison Project, Deborah travels the country to speak about life after prison, finding purpose, and discovering one’s self-identity. She can be booked as a guest speaker for events by clicking on the Book Deborah button.