Mission and Values

This guiding document helps people understand what AMP does, and how we do it. It explains how we look at the world, and how we act to change it.

​We talk about our work in two ways: plain language, and detailed language. Plain language helps get ideas across in a way most people can understand. Detailed language uses very specific words and might be harder to read. You can read one, or both side by side. We hope by sharing both people can get a clear idea of what AMP is all about. 


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Plain language 

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Mission: What we do

AMP helps people who are incarcerated in Massachusetts write to people who aren’t locked up. Pen-pal friendships are powerful. They make people feel like they matter. Pen-pals make it a little easier. They also help non-incarcerated people learn more about incarceration. 

AMP believes abolition can create a better world. “Abolition” means ending incarceration. People who believe in abolition are called “abolitionists.” 

Abolitionists know punishing someone doesn’t make other people safe. But strong friendships can help keep people safe. When people have a real friend, they can be brave enough to be honest when they mess up. They can start to make up for harming someone. They can change their lives to hurt people less in the future.

People are doing things right now to end prisons and make a better world. Abolitionists work with people to build systems that let us think of other ways to react to harm. Two ways to respond are restorative and transformative justice. These are ways that a person who caused harm can take responsibility for what they did.  

AMP members support one another in healthy ways. Whether someone is incarcerated or not, we want our community to be for everyone. We want everyone to feel like they matter. We want everyone to have things they need to grow.

There are lots of parts to abolition. AMP focuses on creating pen-pal friendships. We help people become pen-pals, find resources, support one another, and change things together. We practice doing abolition in the real world by being friends. Our friendships create possibilities for justice, healing, and real freedom. AMP doesn’t help with legal problems, policy, or re-entry. 

Values: Why we do this work

We believe connection across walls will build a world without prisons. These are our values as we imagine what an abolitionist world is like.

Connection: All struggles for freedom are connected. Fannie Lou Hamer said, “nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” As we build a free world, we need to share power and not leave people behind. 

• No one can be all the way free if other people are not free.
• We do not define people by their worst moments.
• We do not discriminate because of charges. We don’t draw lines between different groups, like pretrial/convicted, innocent/guilty, violent/nonviolent, victim/offender, etc

Commitment: Building new ways of relating to each other is long-term work.

• We do the things we need to do to be able to show up for ourselves and others. We learn more by reading, talking, and listening
• We do what we say we will and show up as our true selves. We are clear and don’t have hidden reasons for doing things
• We put long-term relationships first and follow through on the things we say we’ll do
• We hold ourselves and other people accountable for our work. We use grace and honesty to stick to this mission

Care: We know someone is being real when we can see it in their actions. The way we treat one another is part of the way we create change.

• Our relationships built on trust, working together to meet our needs, and the well-being of the group as a whole
• We keep ourselves and others going by choosing joy, celebrating our wins, and by taking care of ourselves and our community.
• To create change, we are open, understanding of one another’s emotions, and curious.
• We use restorative and transformative justice practices to reduce and respond to harm.
  • Restorative justice focuses on repairing harm caused by people’s actions. It brings together the person who was harmed, the person who caused harm, and the community to talk about what happened, how people were affected, and how to make things right.
  • Transformative justice goes a step further. It not only addresses the harm but also looks at the root causes—like inequality, oppression, or systemic issues—that allowed the harm to happen in the first place. It aims to change the conditions that lead to harm so it doesn’t keep happening. (Source: Generative AI, The National Center on Restorative Justice and TransformHarm.org) 

Transformation: We believe what Angela Y. Davis says that real change means going to the “root of injustice.” Our letters show the truth about incarceration. That helps us prepare to resist it.

• We know people and systems can change at the root
• We act knowing that in order to change things deeply, we need to be brave, able to show weakness, and willing to struggle together
• ​Abolition is not just about ending prisons— it’s about creating a better world in their place
  
  ​

Detailed language

 ↑ go to top

Mission: What we do

AMP fosters meaningful, life-affirming connections between people behind and beyond prison walls by creating penpal friendships between incarcerated people in Massachusetts and non-incarcerated people. We do this because we believe abolition means ending prisons and building accountable worlds and requires making genuine connections across walls.

We dare to believe in a world without prisons and take tangible steps toward that vision today. Rooted in an abolitionist framework, we provide opportunities for people to engage in political education, restorative and transformative justice practices, and mutual support. We offer models for healthy communication and relationship building. Through letters, calls, visits, and shared advocacy, we cultivate communities where all people—regardless of their legal status—are seen, valued, and given the resources to thrive. 

AMP does not provide direct legal, policy, or re-entry services, but we empower our members to navigate existing resources, support one another, and take collective action. We serve as a network for people inside and outside of prisons, jails, detention centers, and other sites of incarceration interested in learning from and engaging with each other via email, mail, phone, or in-person visits. By centering relationships as a foundation for abolitionist world-making, we challenge the prison industrial complex and build new possibilities for justice, healing, and liberation.

​VALUES: WHY WE DO THIS WORK

We do this work because we believe connection across walls will help us build a world without prisons. As we dream of what a world without systems of punishment looks like, we hold the following values

Connection: All struggles for freedom are connected and “nobody’s free until everybody’s free” (Fannie Lou Hamer). As we build a free world, we must share power and not leave people behind.

• Regardless of our incarceration status, our freedom is connected.
• We do not define people by their worst moments.
• We do not discriminate based on charges. We don’t draw lines between different groups, like pretrial/convicted, innocent/guilty, violent/nonviolent, victim/offender, etc.

Commitment: Building new ways of relating to each other is long-term work. 

• We actively build the capacity to show up for ourselves and others. We read, talk, and listen to grow our understanding of our work.
• We move with integrity, authenticity, and transparency without hidden motives.
• We prioritize long-term relationships and follow through on our work.
• We hold ourselves and others accountable to our mission with grace and honesty.

Care: Real recognize real. Our ability to do this work is tied up in how we treat ourselves and one another.

• We create relationships built on trust, solidarity, and collective well-being.

• We sustain ourselves and each other by choosing joy, celebrating our wins, and practicing community care and self-care
• We reduce and respond to harm using restorative and transformative justice practices.
  • Restorative justice focuses on repairing harm caused by people’s actions. It brings together the person who was harmed, the person who caused harm, and the community to talk about what happened, how people were affected, and how to make things right.
  • Transformative justice goes a step further. It not only addresses the harm but also looks at the root causes—like inequality, oppression, or systemic issues—that allowed the harm to happen in the first place. It aims to change the conditions that lead to harm so it doesn’t keep happening. (Source: Generative AI,  The National Center on Restorative Justice and TransformHarm.org) 
• We meet one another with openness, empathy, and curiosity to bring about change.

Transformation: We believe real change means going to the “root of injustice” (Angela Y. Davis). Our letters convey the truth of the prison industrial complex, which prepares us to resist it.

• We believe radical change is possible in people and systems.
• We act knowing transformation requires courage, vulnerability, and a willingness to struggle together.
• Abolition is not just about ending prisons—it’s about creating a better world in their place.
  
  ​

​Side-by-side

 ↑ go to top

Mission: What we do

Simple language

AMP helps people who are incarcerated in Massachusetts write to people who aren’t locked up. Pen-pal friendships are powerful. They make people feel like they matter. Pen-pals make it a little easier. They also non-incarcerated people learn more about incarceration. 

AMP believes abolition can create a better world. “Abolition” means ending incarceration. People who believe in abolition are called “abolitionists.” 

Abolitionists know punishing someone doesn’t make other people safe. But strong friendships can help keep people safe. When people have a real friend, they can be brave enough to be honest when they mess up. They can start to make up for harming someone. They can change their lives to hurt people less in the future.

People are doing things right now to end prisons and make a better world. Abolitionists work with people to build systems that let us think of other ways to react to harm. Two ways to respond are restorative and transformative justice. These are ways that a person who caused harm can take responsibility for what they did.  

AMP members support one another in healthy ways. Whether someone is incarcerated or not, we want our community to be for everyone. We want everyone to feel like they matter. We want everyone to have things they need to grow.

There are lots of parts to abolition. AMP focuses on creating pen-pal friendships. We help people become pen-pals, find resources, support one another, and change things together. We practice doing abolition in the real world by being friends. Our friendships create possibilities for justice, healing, and real freedom. AMP doesn’t help with legal problems, policy, or re-entry. 

Detailed language

AMP fosters meaningful, life-affirming connections between people behind and beyond prison walls by creating penpal friendships between incarcerated people in Massachusetts and non-incarcerated people. We do this because we believe abolition means ending prisons and building accountable worlds and requires making genuine connections across walls.
We dare to believe in a world without prisons and take tangible steps toward that vision today. Rooted in an abolitionist framework, we provide opportunities for people to engage in political education, restorative and transformative justice practices, and mutual support. We offer models for healthy communication and relationship building. Through letters, calls, visits, and shared advocacy, we cultivate communities where all people—regardless of their legal status—are seen, valued, and given the resources to thrive. 
​
AMP does not provide direct legal, policy, or re-entry services, but we empower our members to navigate existing resources, support one another, and take collective action. We serve as a network for people inside and outside of prisons, jails, detention centers, and other sites of incarceration interested in learning from and engaging with each other via email, mail, phone, or in-person visits. By centering relationships as a foundation for abolitionist world-making, we challenge the prison industrial complex and build new possibilities for justice, healing, and liberation.

Values: How we do this work

Plain language

​We believe connection across walls will build a world without prisons. These are our values as we imagine what an abolitionist world is like.
​

Connection: All struggles for freedom are connected. Fannie Lou Hamer said, “nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” As we build a free world, we need to share power and not leave people behind. 

• No one can be all the way free if other people are not free.
• We do not define people by their worst moments.
• We do not discriminate because of charges. We don’t draw lines between different groups, like pretrial/convicted, innocent/guilty, violent/nonviolent, victim/offender, etc

Commitment: Building new ways of relating to each other is long-term work.

• We do the things we need to do to be able to show up for ourselves and others. We learn more by reading, talking, and listening
• We do what we say we will and show up as our true selves. We are clear and don’t have hidden reasons for doing things
• We put long-term relationships first and follow through on the things we say we’ll do
• We hold ourselves and other people accountable for our work. We use grace and honesty to stick to this mission

Care: We know someone is being real when we can see it in their actions. The way we treat one another is part of the way we create change.

• Our relationships built on trust, working together to meet our needs, and the well-being of the group as a whole
• We keep ourselves and others going by choosing joy, celebrating our wins, and by taking care of ourselves and our community.
• To create change, we are open, understanding of one another’s emotions, and curious.
• We use restorative and transformative justice practices to reduce and respond to harm.
  • Restorative justice focuses on repairing harm caused by people’s actions. It brings together the person who was harmed, the person who caused harm, and the community to talk about what happened, how people were affected, and how to make things right.
  • Transformative justice goes a step further. It not only addresses the harm but also looks at the root causes—like inequality, oppression, or systemic issues—that allowed the harm to happen in the first place. It aims to change the conditions that lead to harm so it doesn’t keep happening. (Source: Generative AI, The National Center on Restorative Justice and TransformHarm.org) 

Transformation: We believe what Angela Y. Davis says that real change means going to the “root of injustice.” Our letters show the truth about incarceration. That helps us prepare to resist it.

• We know people and systems can change at the root
• We act knowing that in order to change things deeply, we need to be brave, able to show weakness, and willing to struggle together
• ​Abolition is not just about ending prisons— it’s about creating a better world in their place

Detailed language

We do this work because we believe connection across walls will help us build a world without prisons. As we dream of what a world without systems of punishment looks like, we hold the following values

Connection: All struggles for freedom are connected and “nobody’s free until everybody’s free” (Fannie Lou Hamer). As we build a free world, we must share power and not leave people behind.

• Regardless of our incarceration status, our freedom is connected.
• We do not define people by their worst moments.
• We do not discriminate based on charges. We don’t draw lines between different groups, like pretrial/convicted, innocent/guilty, violent/nonviolent, victim/offender, etc.

Commitment: Building new ways of relating to each other is long-term work. 

• We actively build the capacity to show up for ourselves and others. We read, talk, and listen to grow our understanding of our work.
• We move with integrity, authenticity, and transparency without hidden motives
• We prioritize long-term relationships and follow through on our work
• We hold ourselves and others accountable to our mission with grace and honesty

Care: Real recognizes real. Our ability to do this work is tied up in how we treat ourselves and one another.

• We create relationships built on trust, solidarity, and collective well-being.

• We sustain ourselves and each other by choosing joy, celebrating our wins, and practicing community care and self-care
• We reduce and respond to harm using restorative and transformative justice practices.
  • Restorative justice focuses on repairing harm caused by people’s actions. It brings together the person who was harmed, the person who caused harm, and the community to talk about what happened, how people were affected, and how to make things right.
  • Transformative justice goes a step further. It not only addresses the harm but also looks at the root causes—like inequality, oppression, or systemic issues—that allowed the harm to happen in the first place. It aims to change the conditions that lead to harm so it doesn’t keep happening. (Source: Generative AI,  The National Center on Restorative Justice and TransformHarm.org) ​
• We meet one another with openness, empathy, and curiosity to bring about change.

Transformation: We believe real change means going to the “root of injustice” (Angela Y. Davis). Our letters convey the truth of the prison industrial complex, which prepares us to resist it.

• We believe radical change is possible in people and systems.
• We act knowing transformation requires courage, vulnerability, and a willingness to struggle together.
• Abolition is not just about ending prisons—it’s about creating a better world in their place.

​Image description: AMP's logo is a postage cancellation stamp with the words ​Abolitionist Mail Project around the circle. Inside the circle is a red envelope with a fist in the center.