Inside Circle supports incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men on a deep, transformational personal growth journey that culminates in not just reduced violence and recidivism, but in active, dedicated service to others. We begin by focusing on healing emotional trauma through weekly peer-led healing circles and bi-annual intensives. As participants mature, we train them to facilitate their struggling peers in healing circles and continue that training after release to support their reentry to society. When ready, we create opportunities for our paroled, trained formerly incarcerated facilitators to earn a living wage and serve society.
An emerging trend in our national projects is the absence of young people with the skill set to provide the social-emotional tools that are needed in our society. There are an abundance of young people willing to do the work, however, access to the training to do so is severely limited. Our answer is the Young Adult Empowerment Program (YAE). Creating credible messengers closer to the center mass of the age group that is driving some of society’s larger issues. A major component in harnessing this younger group is that their needs are sometimes as strong or stronger than the groups that they would work with. Led by our own credible messengers who have demonstrated that change is possible, we would be working to influence and shift their cultural value system. The inspiration and change we have already demonstrated has drawn young people seeking to leave their addiction to the street lifestyle behind to us like moths to a flame.
