Coaching for Healing and Non-Violence in Prisons

What better place to test out Liberatory Coaching skills than in prison? Coaching and a Liberatory Coach approach can help free our siblings inside prisons, literally and figuratively.

The siblings that we work with inside prison have already done tremendous self-work that have led them to being educators, facilitators, and mentors. With the addition of Liberatory Coaching skills, their impact is upleveled. The “let me tell you what you should do.” changes to “what is your purpose calling you to do?” them to do.  Grounded Liberatory Coaches are the key to reduce violence, state sponsored or otherwise.

About the Program

The core purpose of Coaching for Healing and Non-Violence is to bring Liberatory Coaching skills to cohorts of siblings that are peer educators, teachers, facilitators and mentors inside California State Prisons.

Some of the things that our participants said they gained: Increased skill in identifying the root causes of trauma; de-escalating and resolving conflict; changing prison culture, and reducing violence; softening machismo; supporting folks in finding solutions for themselves; cultivating relationships, creating trust and fostering independence and self-reliance; “bringing peace to ourselves by giving back to the communities that we tore down…now to rebuild.

Testimonials

  • "When Damon and Amanda showed up at the California State Prison-Los Angeles County, I never imagined that this course would have such a profound effect on so many people, including myself. I certainly had no idea of the impact it would have on my own life. Since that first day in class, I became in touch with a powerful feeling, knowing I could help people in the same manner as our trainers. It’s a quality that evokes an overwhelmingly intense emotion of the heart. This program is an inspirational avenue for men who have been lost in the prison system for decades….men who have no voice, and often fear expressing themselves in such a vulnerable manner. We created a safe space for even the most hardened souls, those who rarely gave anyone a glimpse of their true selves. Many of the prisoners shared with me that being involved in the program gave them a sense of worth. After completing the two-day seminar, my peers stated that they felt more accomplished than at any other point in their life. I feel so grateful to have been involved in this project and now that I have been released, I hope to continue my own coaching experience."

    Jon Grobman, former prisoner, California State Men’s Prison in Lancaster

  • "I am writing this letter of appreciation in regards to the work and dedication of people such as yourself and the organization that you represent. The culture and dynamics of life in prison are harsh to say the least, and being able to not only navigate the nuances while creating a balance that allows those of us you are helping to heal is challenging, but the program does just that effortlessly, by establishing a place for incarcerated men and women to come together in the pursuit of growth and healing is truly a Godsend. There should be more programs like yours in the prison system if we are ever to truly be able to break the cycles of violence, unresolved trauma, and mass incarceration."

    Quinton Shorter

  • "I didn't know it at the time but CHNV would become fundamental to the freedom that I could only dream of at the time I began the program. After serving 31 yrs as a Lifer, I was invited to join the CHJL program, after 9 months, I graduated. Today, I am a certified Healing, Justice, and Liberation coach and living my very best life. CHNV planted the seed , today I am in full bloom and bearing much fruit!! "

    Jamala Taylor

  • "What it also did for me was it affirmed me in my characteristics and that I was more than a cdcr number. That I am a human being. That I needed to be reassured, cared for, and honored. It helped me do that for myself which boosted my self-esteem and confidence. With those tools in hand I was able to teach others, kids and graduate from Cal State LA with a bachelor’s degree in communication. I am a free person now and still use the tools I learned there all the time. My success in life has been partly because of that class. Will always be grateful."

    Dara Yin

Resources

  • Insight Garden Program

    Insight Garden Program transforms incarcerated folks’ lives through connection to nature.

    Learn More Here.

  • Critical Resistance

    https://criticalresistance.org/resources/

  • Instead of Prison: A Handbook for Abolitionists

    https://www.prisonpolicy.org/scans/instead_of_prisons/

  • Mariame Kaba

    http://mariamekaba.com/publications/

  • Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2023

    https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2023.html

  • Steps to End Prisons and Policing: A Mixtape on Transformative Justice

    https://learninglab.freedomlifted.com/courses/just-practice-mixtape

  • Abolition on Stolen Land. A panel featuring Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Nick Estes and Charles Sepulveda

    https://vimeo.com/467484872

  • Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement by Ejeris Dixon (Editor); Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (Editor)

    https://www.akpress.org/beyond-survival.html

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Testimonials

  • "Coaching for Healing and Non-violence (CHNV) was transformational. This was my entrance to the magnificent world of Life coaching. In the short term, while still incarcerated, this program helped me to believe that I have my own answers. This helped me to develop the skill of introspection and that has made me a better and more successful person."

    - Jamala Taylor

  • "I didn't know it at the time but CHNV would become fundamental to the freedom that I could only dream of at the time I began the program. After serving 31 yrs as a Lifer, I was invited to join the CHJL program, after 9 months, I graduated. Today, I am a certified Healing, Justice, and Liberation coach and living my very best life. CHNV planted the seed , today I am in full bloom and bearing much fruit!!"

    - Jamala Taylor

  • "My experience with Coaching and Non-Violence taught me how to actively listen to people. Much of my life I wanted to give my opinion and advice as opposed to listening to a person and helping them cultivate their own idea for what they need. What it also did for me was it affirmed me in my characteristics and that I was more than a cdcr number. That I am a human being. That I needed to be reassured, cared for, and honored. It helped me do that for myself which boosted my self-esteem and confidence. With those tools in hand I was able to teach others, kids and graduate from Cal State LA with a bachelor’s degree in communication. I am a free person now and still use the tools I learned there all the time. My success in life has been partly because of that class. Will always be grateful."

    Dara Yin