Available from Ethics Press:
It's Changed What I'm Living For
This unique book presents a study of 287 currently and formerly incarcerated individuals in prisons across America, to offer an inspiring collection of stories that showcases the remarkable journeys of incarcerated men and women. Despite being sentenced to life, they found hope, redemption, and human flourishing through their participation in a seminary-level theological education program while they were incarcerated. Detailed narratives highlight eight men currently incarcerated in Texas and Kansas.
Participation in the prison higher education program impacted their lives and led them to become disciples, guiding and mentoring fellow inmates on their path to personal and spiritual growth. Drawing on mixed-methods research, it is an important book for scholars of education, sociology, prison research, and religion.
About the Author: Robin L. LaBarbera
Dr. Robin LaBarbera is Professor Emerita at Biola University and Principal of LaBarbera Learning Solutions, where she specializes in program evaluation for correctional education and reentry programs.
A researcher with deep expertise in transformation narratives, Dr. LaBarbera has spent years documenting human flourishing in America's prisons. Her work bridges rigorous scholarship with accessible storytelling, making complex research meaningful for both academic and general audiences.
Dr. LaBarbera has published 15+ peer-reviewed articles and presented her research internationally in Lebanon, Vietnam, India, and the UK. She received a Best Paper Award from the GLOCER conference and has been featured on The Redemption Project podcast discussing her prison-based theological education research.
It's Changed What I'm Living For is her fourth book and represents the culmination of years studying 287 incarcerated individuals who experienced profound transformation through seminary-level education behind bars.
She is the founder of Flourishing Press and maintains The Flourishing Project blog at robinlabarbera.com, where she shares research insights and stories that advance human flourishing in overlooked communities.