“If you study prison populations as I have, you see a common preponderance of childhood trauma and mental illness. The two go together. So a lot of the people are being punished for being mentally ill and they are mentally ill because they were traumatized as kids. So what we have in [prisons] are the most traumatized people in our society." — Dr. Gabor Maté

Step Inside the Circle Film by The Compassion Prison Project:

Filmed at a maximum security prison in Lancaster, California, the focus of the day was one of our cornerstones of prison reform: filming the Compassion Trauma Circle where 235 incarcerated men stepped inside the circle for each traumatic event they experienced in their childhood.

Those who experience the Compassion Trauma Circle and learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences and the symptoms of trauma, feel a sense of relief, self-forgiveness and community support. It has given them awareness about their past and has opened a doorway to new levels of understanding, compassion and healing. Step Inside the Circle is a call to action: to spread the word about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). It is a call to recognize the physical, emotional and social impact ACEs have wrought upon society and to stress the importance of care (not punishment) going forward in the prison system.

Visit The Compassion Prison Project