Toronto’s Forgiveness Project Partners with NBA Foundation to Launch Prison Basketball and Leadership Program

TORONTO, ON – The Forgiveness Project, a Toronto-based grassroots initiative that has provided arts and sports programming inside Canadian federal prisons for over 15 years, has announced a landmark collaboration with the NBA Foundation to deliver a new basketball and leadership program for incarcerated young men.

The six-week program, called “Up The Score,” is designed for participants aged 18-29 currently in custody within Greater Toronto Area prisons. It combines basketball training with leadership development, aiming to help young men build essential life skills that can support entrepreneurial and employment success after release.

Expanding Impact Through Partnership

This collaboration marks the first and only partnership of its kind between a Canadian prison-based grassroots program and the NBA Foundation. It will expand The Forgiveness Project’s reach and resources, providing additional support to incarcerated individuals through structured sports programming.

“We are incredibly proud to partner with the NBA Foundation, a platform that deeply understands the relationship between community and the justice system,” said Tara Muldoon, Founder of The Forgiveness Project. “For young men navigating the complexities of incarceration, sports provide a crucial outlet.”

The new initiative builds on more than a decade of The Forgiveness Project’s work, which has used arts and sports to create pathways for healing, personal growth, and community reintegration for individuals in federal custody.

NBA Foundation’s Role in Empowering Youth

As part of its 15th grant round, the NBA Foundation is supporting The Forgiveness Project’s mission to help incarcerated youth develop leadership qualities and prepare for future employment opportunities.

“We are excited to support The Forgiveness Project as part of the NBA Foundation’s 15th grant round,” said Ruth Jurgensen, Executive Director of the NBA Foundation. “Our collaboration will help expand programs that develop leadership and career readiness for young adults throughout Canada.”

This partnership highlights the growing recognition of community-driven rehabilitation programs as vital contributors to criminal justice reform.

A Holistic Approach to Rehabilitation

The Forgiveness Project emphasizes human-centered, transformative programming in prison settings. By integrating athletic activity with life skills training, the organization seeks to provide incarcerated young men with opportunities for personal development and positive change.

Through “Up The Score,” participants will not only strengthen their basketball skills but also learn practical leadership strategies, teamwork, and resilience – tools intended to help them succeed well beyond their time in custody.

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