The Ahimsa Collective offers three different in-prison programs for incarcerated people centered on exploring healing and accountability. These programs are at Valley State Prison, Mule Creek State Prison, California Correctional Women’s Facility, and Correctional Training Facility. 

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1. The Realize Program

Realize is a 16-month circle program where participants explore their relationship to intimate violence – which includes family abuse, sexual violence, and domestic violence. Drawing on restorative justice practices and trauma healing philosophy in a supportive setting, we explore topics such as trauma, resiliency, accountability, gender socialization, structural and historical conditions of violence, shame and worth, breaking silence, cycles of harm, and impact on victims/survivors. In each session, we talk in a circle, process in small groups, explore concepts, and utilize experiential exercises. We interact with guest speakers and survivors of violent crime. Our circles are co-facilitated by incarcerated leaders and free facilitators. 

 

2. The Empathize Program:

Empathize is a year-long program shaped by survivors’ stories and experiences and centered on a deep exploration of the impacts on them. Participants explore the seen and unseen impact of violence on crime survivors, ranging from more visible medical, physical, and financial effects to emotional and spiritual impacts such as abiding shame, trauma, grief, anger, loss of meaning in life, and potential addictions. We create space for the group to process victim impact statements and victim shares in processing circles and writing exercises and to develop empathy, remorse, accountability, and self-healing through these practices. 

 

3. The Partners in Accountability and Trauma Healing (PATH)  Program

PATH is a six-month program in which graduates of the Realize or Empathize programs interested in writing letters of accountability to those they’ve harmed are offered support and guidance in the letter drafting process.  Through facilitated group work, guided discussions, and individual written reflection, participants can deepen their understanding of the harm they caused and learn how to best express remorse, empathy, apology, and accountability through a letter.  Once they have finalized their letter, it gets submitted by The Ahimsa Collective to the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights Services (OVSRS) for review and possible inclusion in their Accountability Letter Bank (ALB).  If their letter is approved, the addressee of that letter is notified by the OVSRS.  If a survivor is interested in receiving their letter, it is then sent to them by the OVSRS.