About
Our Mission
To build safer communities, we must first open prison doors to allow the outside world to meet those most affected by incarceration.
Proximity for Justice is a nonprofit dedicated to mass decarceration by helping incarcerated individuals gain the necessary skills and relationships to reenter society successfully. Through transformative TEDx events inside of prisons, Proximity for Justice amplifies incarcerated voices, fosters meaningful connections between people on both sides of prison walls, and mobilizes the public to advocate for justice system change.
The Need
Mass incarceration impacts millions and leaves the incarcerated lacking necessary resources for a successful reentry.
The United States has…
4% of the global population
25% of the world’s prison population
(nearly 2 million people)
Over 95% of people in prison will eventually return home, but most do so without access to education, job training, or leadership development.
In 2024, the Department of Justice rescinded over $800 million in funding for reentry programs, stripping access for hundreds of thousands.
Our Theory of Change
Challenge
public perceptions and dismantle harmful stereotypes of incarceration
Increase
community access to prisons to foster transparency and connection
Leverage
insights from those most affected to drive solutions to mass incarceration
Our Impact
Our events have increased public engagement, influenced policy decisions, informed clemency decisions, and created life-changing opportunities for speakers that go beyond the events themselves.
Participants have said...
“DOCCS is using my talk as part of their suicide prevention efforts. It can be found on all New York State Prisoners tablets... I often refer to the day of the event as the pinnacle of my rehabilitative process.”
Roland Murphy Incarcerated speaker at TEDxAttica
“The network that I got connected to through TEDx event has gave me confidence to know people want me to succeed after my release.”
James Rogalski TEDxFarmington Speaker
“This experience helped me grow and provided healing that I was not even aware that I still needed.”
Kenneth Stotts TEDxFarmington Speaker
“This has given me a profound sense of fulfillment and direction, and none of it would be possible without Proximity for Justice.”
Jeshua Noel TEDxFarmington Speaker
Attendees have said...
“I am fortunate to enjoy all kinds of experiences, but few have been as transformative and moving as TEDxIronwoodStatePrison.”
Sir Richard Branson
“In the past, prison and inmate were just words that had no tangible meaning for me. That has changed forever.”
Hakeem Oluseyi Astrophysicist
“I understand that Phil is eligible for release soon…I am willing to submit a letter on his behalf to help expedite his release.”
TEDxAttica Attendee
“Judy and I were inside the gates for five hours, and it was a remarkable human experience. The incarcerated men we met – and there were many – were thoughtful (more so than many in the NY world we live in). If enough people could have the experience we had, our disgraceful and economically counterproductive criminal justice system would get the massive reform it needs.”
Robert E. Rubin
Our History
In 2012, Dan and Wayne, both incarcerated at Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio, organized the first ever TEDx event inside a prison, with a line-up of speakers that included incarcerated people alongside prison administrators and survivors of crime.
When TED consultant Delia Cohen attended their next event and found the experience transformative, she, Dan, and Wayne embarked on a deep collaboration that endures today.
Together, they built Proximity for Justice out of the belief that storytelling has the power to bridge the gap between people in prison and those with the influence to change systems and narratives, opening a pathway toward decarceration and a more just world.
Michael Hill at TEDxGreenRockCorrectionalCenter, Virginia
Event Timeline
TEDx director Jay Herratti walking the yard at San Quentin with the organizers.
Our TEDx Partnership
Proximity for Justice is anchored in a year-long leadership and coaching model based on professional speaker preparation.
As a separate and independent entity, Proximity for Justice depends on the generous support of foundations and individuals to produce and promote these events.
Who We Are
Delia Cohen
Founder
Vision architect Delia Cohen specializes in turning extraordinary ideas -- involving the arts, cutting-edge technology, and new media -- into reality. The common theme of her projects? They all attempt to make the world a better place.
Notable endeavors include running the messaging department at the Clinton White House during impeachment and transition; helping organize the first and second Clinton Global Initiatives; producing Richard Avedon’s last work, a photo-essay on democracy for The New Yorker; rebranding Goldie Hawn’s education foundation; managing Nokia’s $1 million global investment challenge; and pulling together in 15 months an extremely ambitious TED Prize project – a global film event called Pangea Day.
However, Delia’s most interesting, challenging, and rewarding work has been in criminal justice reform. For the last decade, Delia has been leveraging her unique network of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, correctional leadership, activists, entertainers, and entrepreneurs to organize TEDx events in prisons around the United States. With Delia’s guidance, incarcerated people, correctional officers, prison administrators, and community members collaboratively plan and curate each event. Following Bryan Stevenson’s call for advancing justice through proximity, half of the attendees are community leaders and half are incarcerated. Numerous attendees have found the experience unforgettable and transformative, spurring a wave of criminal justice activism and philanthropy. Shared on the TEDx YouTube channel, videos from the prison events have gone viral across the globe and comprise an unprecedented archive of authentic voices and ideas for criminal justice reform.
Delia lives in upstate New York in an 18th-century Dutch Colonial farmhouse with her dogs Buddy and Bella.
