INTERACTIVE MAGAZINE PROGRAM
The Loop improves mental health, builds prosocial community & prepares readers for reentry.
Evidence-based tools that help correctional programming stick!
Interventions in creative arts, character strengths, and peer modeling of prosocial activity
Prosocial activities available to all residents, without typical limitations
Articles and prompts to promote literacy, communication skills, and creative expression
A chance for readers to contribute constructively to a positive community (Over 50% of each issue comes from our readers, closely vetted by a team of qualified staff with over 100 years of lived experience)
Inspiration from former participants & staff of SL who model reentry success.
2024 - ISSUE 5 - PRUDENCE
2024 - ISSUE 4 - FAIRNESS
2024 - ISSUE 3 - LEADERSHIP
2024 - ISSUE 2 - HUMILITY
2024 - ISSUE 1 - HOPE
2023 - ISSUE 5 - ZEST
2023 - ISSUE 4 - TEAMWORK
2023 - ISSUE 3 - JUDGMENT
2023 - ISSUE 2 - FORGIVENESS
2023 - ISSUE 1 - BRAVERY
2022 - ISSUE 5 - SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE
2022 - ISSUE 4 - APPRECIATION OF BEAUTY & EXCELLENCE
2022 - ISSUE 3 - CURIOSITY & LOVE OF LEARNING
2022 - ISSUE 2 - SPIRITUALITY
2022 - ISSUE 1 - PERSEVERANCE
2021 - ISSUE 5 - KINDNESS
2021 - ISSUE 4 - CREATIVITY
2021 - ISSUE 3 - SELF-REGULATION
2021 - ISSUE 2 - HONESTY
2021 - ISSUE 1 - HOPE
While the content in The Loop magazine is shown to increase well-being for individuals, the broader prison community is impacted when readers engage in it together. Through the Loop Group program, Shining Light provides resources, guidance, and support for participating facilities to establish effective peer-facilitated groups that are unique to their needs, assets, and goals.
“It has changed my life as it has so many inmates’ lives. Watching the atmosphere (here) change one inmate at a time, has been so rewarding...I know it is all worth it, because I see these men changing right in front of my eyes. The Loop gives hope, not just to the incarcerated people but to the staff and families. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of something so positive and impactful.”
“We dare each other to be encouraged. Having hope and being positive in prison is complicated, especially as a lifer. This helps to know you’re not alone in choosing to be encouraged.”
FAQ’s
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New issues of The Loop are released every 10-12 weeks, for a total of 5 issues per year
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In addition to the benefit of receiving a piece of mail with their name on it (the only mail for some), subscribing is a tangible way readers choose to identify with a prosocial community of individuals focused on becoming the best version of themselves. This positive sense of belonging increases engagement as they contribute to the magazine itself, to the betterment of their community inside, and/or to their relationships outside.
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The Loop is available for free to anyone who is incarcerated in a US prison, depending on the facility's mailing policies. (We are unable to distribute to most jails without a staff member interceding.)
Individuals can simply write to Shining Light at P.O. Box 267, Annville PA 17003 to request a copy
Loved ones and supporters on the outside are encouraged to access the online version above, which is also available to subscribers upon their release.
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The Loop has 3,970 subscribers in 32 states, as of October 2024
Thousands more individuals read The Loop on tablets through the Edovo platform
Over 100 facilities partner with Shining Light to promote The Loop among their population with bulk copies
In total, nearly 10,000 incarcerated individuals are estimated to read each issue of The Loop
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An annual subscription to The Loop costs $45 ($9 per issue, 5x/year).
Shining Light covers the cost of all subscriptions through the generosity of private donors and foundations.
Partnering facilities are asked to consider covering part or all of the cost for bulk orders.
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An annual subscription is $45 per person. Click here to make a donation for one or more individuals incarcerated in the US. If you'd like your donation to go towards a specific individual, please contact us at staff@shining-light.com.
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Contact our Program Director, Kelly Beltran, at kelly@shining-light.com