Compassion Prison Project: Transforming Prisons and Communities
Compassion Prison Project is the brainchild of award-winning film producer Fritzi Horstman, developed as a result of her own experiences with ACEs.
CPP's mission is to transform prisons and communities through compassionate action. ACEs are disproportionatelyhigh within the prison system, so CPP is focused on bringing childhood trauma awareness, education and healing to prisons and communities within the U.S. as well as globally. CPP’s vision is that, within three years, all prisons in the United States will become wellness, mental health and education centers, offering trauma-informed and trauma-responsive curricula as well as various healing modalities including meditation, somatic exercises and creative expression.
Over 95% of Americans living in prison will someday return to society. It begs the question; shouldn’t our tax dollars be spent assuring that these returning citizens transition back to the community and their families both educated andin good health? For those incarcerated people who were sexually assaulted before committing their crime, shouldn’t we put an end to the crowd-strip-searches which happen on their first day in prison? And since Correctional Officers have an average life expectancy of only 59, due in large part to stress on the job, don’t we need to provide support to prison staff as well? Shouldn’t our focus be on providing safety and security for everyone living and working within prison walls? Shouldn’t we start with Do No Harm?
CPP’s short documentary film, Step Inside the Circle, has reached global status, with over 2.5 million views in just a few short months, due in part to its honest look at the intense childhood trauma experienced by a group of 235 men living in a maximum-security prison in California. The film reminds us of a simple fact which is so often overlooked or even hidden from plain sight; that these men are human beings, and they belong to all of us.
CPP is gathering ACE surveys completed by incarcerated people imprisoned throughout the United States. We currently have nearly 2000 surveys from 30 different states. 12.5% of the general U.S. population have 4 or more ACEs. By comparison, our data shows that 78% of the incarcerated population have 4 or more ACEs....and 64% of the men and women in prison have 6 or more ACEs
We invite you to take a look at our one-sheets and outreach map which provide more details about the education, programs and initiatives CPP is bringing to prisons and communities nationwide. Please learn more at www.compassionprisonproject.org
For our newest initiative Adopt-a-Prison: creating trauma-informed and trauma-responsive prisons please contact us at info@compassionprisonproject.org.
Melonie McCoy
Media Communications Director
Compassion Prison Project
media@compassionprisonproject.org
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