About Kim Whiting

Kim Whiting, MA, MBA, was formerly a psychotherapist specializing in youth and survivors of abuse. She has published an award-winning print and online magazine for and by teenage girls and coauthored the memoir Life Sentence, Life Purpose (4.5 star rating on Amazon) with a life sentence inmate. She now works with former criminals/gang leaders to create media that inspires ideas for social reform and prison reform and supports at-risk and incarcerated populations in making the transition to a legit life; healing, self-forgiveness, forgiveness, self-value and the belief that they are capable and worthy of having a happy, fulfilling, positively contributing life. www.streetlifetostraightlife.com

A Good Prison Boss

October 14, 2015 by Kim Whiting

A management style that makes even former drug dealers want to work for 45 cents an hour? This prison workplace supervisor has it.

Filed Under: U.S. Tagged With: business management, convicts, corrections, inmates, kim whiting, management, motivating inmates, motivating prisoners, motivation, prison, prison industries, prison management, prison reform, prison work, prisoners, reform, tay ramey, workplace

Criminalizing Addiction and Mental Illness: A Case Study

October 5, 2015 by Kim Whiting

Should addiction and mental illness be treated by social services instead of incarceration? Mickey’s story helps answer this question.

Filed Under: U.S. Tagged With: addiction, bruce alexander, criminalization of mental illness, criminalizing addiction, criminalizing mental illness, incarceration, kim whiting, life sentence, mental illness, prison, prison reform, rat park, social reform

Beautiful Souls in Bleak Cages

September 21, 2015 by Kim Whiting

Mickey’s story illuminates the criminalization of mental illness and addiction and inspires ideas for social and prison reform

Filed Under: U.S. Tagged With: addiction, bruce alexander, corrections, counseling, drug addiction, inmate, inspirational, kim whiting, mental illness, opiate research, prison, prison reform, prisoner, rat park, rat research

The Making and Unmaking of a Gang Leader (The short version)

June 19, 2015 by Kim Whiting

Former gang leader’s life story illuminates the factors that propell kids into criminal life and those that facilitate a turnaround

Filed Under: U.S. Tagged With: african american gangs, african american youth, at-risk youth, black gangs, black youth, corrections, counseling, crime prevention, gang prevention, gangs, kim whiting, Mentorship, prison reform, prisoners, prisons, psychology, social reform, social work

The Making of a Gang Leader

May 31, 2015 by Kim Whiting

Part one of a two-part series. Interview with former gang leader about the elements that turned him from gifted child to violent criminal.

Filed Under: U.S. Tagged With: african amercian youth, african american gangs, at-risk youth, black gangs, black youth, counseling, crime prevention, gang prevention, gangs, kim whiting, Mentorship, minority youth, prison, prison reform, prisoners, social reform, social work, underserved youth

The Unmaking of a Gang Leader

May 19, 2015 by Kim Whiting

Part 2 in two-part series. Former gang leader discusses his difficult, grief-filled transition from street life to straight life

Filed Under: U.S. Tagged With: at-risk youth, corrections, counseling, gangs, inmates, inspirational, interview, kim whiting, Mentorship, political reform, prison, prison reform, prisoners, psychology, self-help, social reform, social work, straight life, street life, underserved youth