About RISE2hope

RISE2hope is a pastoral ministry of restorative justice founded through the support of Jesuits West Province and a wide community of supporters. Through Ignatian methods of prayer, retreat, education and advocacy, RISE2hope strives to heal broken relationships for and with those impacted by crime and incarceration.

RISE2hope, though primarily a ministry to those who are locked up, also mobilizes constituencies to advocate for the transformation of the justice system to become restorative rather than punitive. Ultimately, we strive to help people find deeper meaning in their lives and embrace alternatives to violence, addiction, gang membership and incarceration.

A Creative Collaboration with Our Kin Behind Bars

The name RISE2hope is the result of a creative collaboration with our program participants behind bars and, we believe, a good reflection of our mission - who we strive to be and what we are about.

RISE is a word that both stands alone and is an acronym. When people are incarcerated, they often refer to how long they've “been down" (or behind bars.) The word RISE invites one to be uplifted in hope and to move toward healing and interior freedom. As an acronym, RISE stands for Restorative Ignatian Spiritual Encounters, capturing both our Ignatian grounding and the diversity of programs that we offer.

When we floated the word RISE at one of our retreats behind bars, Matteo*, an original participant since 2016, suggested, "How about RISE2hope, using the number 2?" The enthusiasm was immediate and palpable, accompanied by a thumbs up from everyone in the room. We had our new name! Matteo went away and came back to the following retreat with our distinctive lettering. Wanting to build upon Matteo’s lettering, we submitted it to graphic designer Tom Roche, of ROCHE' DESIGN, requesting that it include a rising bud. After several iterations and consults with our friends behind bars, the logo you see was chosen as the clear favorite.

*Matteo is a pseudonym, as required by the Department of Corrections.

Staff