Shakespeare Behind Bars was founded on the belief that all human beings are inherently good, and that although some convicted criminals have committed heinous crimes against other human beings, this inherent goodness still lives deep within them and must be called forth. Participation in the SBB program can effectively change our world for the better by influencing one inmate at a time, awakening him or her to the power and the passion of the goodness that lives within all of us.

Through the healing power of the arts, Shakespeare Behind Bars offers participants the ability to hope and the courage to act despite their fear and the odds against them.

By immersing participants in the nine-month process of producing a Shakespeare play, Shakespeare Behind Bars uses the healing power of the arts, transforming inmate offenders from who they were when they committed their crimes, to who they are in the present moment, to who they wish to become.	Through a partnership with VSA Kentucky and the Kentucky Department of Education, the Journeymen is a program for 18-21 year-olds incarcerated in the Kentucky Department of Corrections. Inmates explore the goals and values of the SBB program as a member of a positive, supportive community.
Providing incarcerated youth the tools they need to work towards a future outside the correctional institution. Students participate in ensemble-building and conflict resolution activities to create a safe circle for participants.	Residencies for at-risk youth in need of therapeutic support to overcome the effects of abuse, abandonment, neglect or previous incarceration as they work to successfully transition back into society.