Cheryl Steed

Clinical psychologist Cheryl Steed is a leader in prison healthcare, known for her work on the Gold Coat Programs at the California Men’s Colony (CMC). She specializes in creating and managing peer-to-peer caregiving programs that provide humane and dignified care for aging inmates. Through the Gold Coat Program, Cheryl trains a carefully selected group of inmates to act as caregivers for other inmates who have cognitive impairments, such as dementia. She provides training on everything from managing challenging behaviors to preventing burnout. This unique program not only provides essential care for a vulnerable population but also gives the inmate caregivers a sense of purpose. Cheryl’s work is part of a larger movement to bring more compassionate care to prison systems across the country. By training inmates to care for one another, she has helped create a model that benefits everyone involved and has gained national attention for its innovative approach to prison healthcare.