IIDDII
IIDDII
We heal carceral harm through a 24-month program that proves what the system won't admit: people with criminal records aren't broken—they're experts.
A 24-month program that proves what the system won't admit: people with criminal records, trauma histories, and decades of survival aren't broken—they're experts. Accessible anywhere: inside prison walls or out. On your phone, computer, or secure tablet. On your schedule. We heal carceral harm. We build technical skills. We create credible messengers. We prove no one is disposable.
The Problem
The Problem
Traditional reentry programs fail because they treat symptoms, not causes:
They offer job training but ignore trauma → People quit when triggered
They teach "soft skills" but skip healing → Anger destroys opportunities
They promise second chances but deliver minimum wage → Poverty pulls people back
They call people "broken" who are actually experts in survival
Result: 68% return to prison within 3 years. Not because they didn't learn. Because the system never addressed what actually needed healing.
Our Solution
Our Solution
The Four-Dose Prescription
We don't just train people. We heal them. Then we employ them.
Dose #1: Mental Health
Trauma recovery. Emotional regulation. PTSD treatment. Anger management. Real therapy, not worksheets.
Dose #2: Physical Health
The three-headed monster (obesity, diabetes, hypertension). Stress kills. We address it.
Dose #3: Community Health
Safe relationships. Mentorship. Credible messenger development. You don't heal alone.
Dose #4: Economic Health
Data analytics. Business operations. Stackable certificates. $45K-$110K career pathway. Real money. Real stability.
All four doses. All the time. For 24 months. Delivered online and via correspondence so you can access it anywhere.
What Makes Us Different
Led by someone who lived it
Dell Pippins. 27 years incarcerated. Bachelor's and Master's earned inside. Taught 127 men who all graduated. Received clemency at 53. Started PhD at 54. Built this because the system said he was disposable. He proved them wrong.
Accessible anywhere
Inside or out. Start the program while incarcerated on a secure tablet. Continue after release on your phone or computer. Seamless transition. Same curriculum. No interruption.
Trauma-informed everything
Not just the counseling sessions—the data analytics classes, the Excel training, the business operations curriculum. We know triggers don't take breaks just because you're learning SQL.
Lived experience as expertise
Your survival skills aren't deficits. They're pattern recognition, risk assessment, crisis management, leadership under pressure. We name them. We value them. We credential them.
Credible messengers, not clients
By Month 13, you're not just healing—you're mentoring others. By Month 24, you're a certified peer specialist AND a data analyst. Both. Because the world needs people who can code AND reach the unreachable.
Real jobs, real money
Our employer partners commit to fair chance hiring. Our graduates earn $45K-$110K depending on certificate level. Economic health isn't a luxury—it's mandatory for sustained recovery.
The Program
24 months. Online & correspondence. Two tracks. Four certificates. One life transformed.
Track A: Trauma-Informed Healing
(based on "No One Is Disposable" curriculum)
Months 1-6: Intensive (2 video sessions/week) - Understanding trauma, building core skills
Months 7-24: Maintenance (1 video session/week + peer groups) - Deepening, credible messenger training, leadership
Track B: Data Analytics & Business Operations
Certificate 1 (Month 6): Administrative Data Coordinator → $38K-$52K jobs
Certificate 2 (Month 12): Business Operations Analyst → $50K-$68K jobs
Certificate 3 (Month 18): Data-Driven Business Analyst + Credible Messenger Certification → $65K-$85K jobs
Certificate 4 (Month 24): Analytics & Operations Strategist → $80K-$110K+ jobs
Both tracks run simultaneously. Every Friday: integration session connecting healing and skills.
How It Works
Released participants:
Access via computer, tablet, or smartphone
Stream or download videos
Submit assignments online
Live Zoom peer groups (recorded if you miss)
Video check-ins with mentor twice per month
Incarcerated participants:
Secure tablet provided (or use facility tablets)
All content downloadable for offline viewing
Weekly/bi-weekly sync to upload/download
Hard copy workbook mailed
Phone check-ins with mentor twice per month
Seamless transition to full online access upon release
Everyone:
Self-paced within monthly modules
Study at 2am or 2pm—your choice
Peer support groups
24/7 crisis support
Technical help
Completely free
Who This Is For
✓ Currently incarcerated (6-30 months remaining on sentence—complete the FULL program inside, not just months 1-6)
✓ Released individuals (within 5 years of justice system involvement)
✓ Anyone with:
Criminal record + desire to change trajectory
Trauma history + willingness to do hard healing work
High school diploma or GED (or willing to earn it concurrently)
Commitment to 24 months of showing up
We don't care about:
Your charges (we care about your commitment)
How many times you've tried and failed before
Whether anyone else believes in you
Your tech skills (we teach everything from scratch)
We care about:
Will you show up even when it's hard?
Will you do the work even when it hurts?
Will you help the next person coming behind you?
If yes, you're in.
The Numbers
Research on credible messenger programs (our model):
50-69% reduction in recidivism (Jarjoura & Harvell, 2018)
Significant improvements in mental health, anxiety, depression, anger (Messina, 2023)
Zero rule violations during peer-led trauma interventions (Messina, 2023)
Economic impact:
Average graduate salary: $65K (compared to $15K for typical reentry jobs)
ROI for funders: $4-7 return for every $1 invested over 10 years
Cost savings: $35K-$75K per year per person not reincarcerated
Lives changed:
127 men Dell taught who earned their diplomas (inside, at 56 cents/hour)
Projected: 50-100 graduates per year once scaled
Intergenerational impact: Kids who don't enter the system because parents are stable
Why Dell Built This
"That day in the rec hall with the globe—that was my turning point. Not because I suddenly had all the answers. But because I made a decision: this is not my crowd. These three rules saved my life: lots of reading, little talk, no sulking. They're the foundation of everything we do here."
— Dell Pippins, Founder
"I went to bed on top of the world and woke up with the world on top of me. That's trauma. I watched 127 men transform through education—earning diplomas at 56 cents an hour, proving everyone wrong about who they could become. This program is built on what I learned watching those men fight for their lives through learning."
— Dell Pippins, on building this program
We're Launching Our First Cohort
This is brand new. Our first cohort starts soon. You have the opportunity to be a pioneer—to be part of proving that people with criminal records can master data analytics, heal from trauma, and earn six figures.
In 24 months, you won't just have certificates—you'll have a story about being first. About taking a chance on yourself when no one else would. About helping us prove the system wrong.
The research says this model works. Dell's 27 years inside taught him what people need. Now we're putting it together in a way no one has before.
Will you be part of cohort one?
Get Started
For Individuals: Enroll in the Program
Apply Now | Cohorts start 1st Monday of December, April, and August
For Facilities: Partner With Us
Bring this program inside your institution. Minimal IT requirements. We provide tablets, training, and all support. Proven to reduce recidivism. Learn More
For Funders: Support This Work
Change lives, save money, prove people aren't disposable. Every $15,000 funds one participant through the full 24-month program. Donate
For Employers: Hire Our Graduates
Get talent. Change systems. Do the right thing. Our graduates have real technical skills and unmatched resilience. Partner With Us
The Truth No One Told You
"That anger you carry? That inability to trust? That emotional numbness? That's not who you are. That's what trauma did to you. And it can change."
"You've been told your whole life that you're disposable. The system treated you like you're disposable. Maybe you even believe it."
"We're here to prove that lie wrong."
No one is disposable. Including you.
Ready to Start?
Call/Text: (319) 897-5141
Email: TheInstitute@ifidontdoit.org
Mail: PO Box 222, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Web: www.ifidontdoit.org
Apply Now | Request Info Session | Read Full Program Details