COUNCIL-BASED PROGRAMS FOR SYSTEM-IMPACTED FOLKS

system impacted and incarcerated individuals

The experience of incarceration can and should be a time of personal transformation where men and women who have been isolated from the social and economic mainstream can learn to assess and reset their perspectives and experiences with the world by developing insight and learning empowering skills in communication and contemplative practices like council.

Beyond Us & Them believes that transformation must occur at the individual, family, institutional, community, and societal level. Our intention is to build the confidence, education, and advocacy skills of our program participants. Our council-based programming creates a vehicle for participants’ self-expression and self-advocacy, so that their engagement with the wider world helps to change prevailing beliefs

WHO WE SUPPORT

Incarcerated individuals and their families
System-impacted individuals & communities
Formerly incarcerated individuals on the journey of reentry
Reentry service providers

prison wellbeing programs for incarcerated individuals

Beyond Us & Them has been providing transformational rehabilitative programming for incarcerated populations since 2013. Our work inside prisons trains participants to facilitate council sessions for their peers, empowering them to become positive agents of change, on the yard, and in their lives.

If you'd like to find out more about bringing our program to your prison, contact our team for more details.

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group of incarcerated men taking part in the beyond us and them council-based prison program

recognized with the 2020 "Innovation in Corrections award" by the American Correctional Association

council for insight, compassion & resilience

Our award-winning program for incarcerated individuals has been offered since 2013 and has been launched in over two dozen California prisons. The program contributes to a shift in culture within jails and prisons and equips participants with tools for successful reentry and reintegration into their communities upon release.

READ ABOUT THE PROGRAM

council reentry program

There are so many challenges that formerly incarcerated individuals face upon release, including finding housing and employment, the stigma of being an “ex-offender” and the repair and renewal of supportive and healthy relationships with families and friends.

Beyond Us & Them's Council Reentry Program addresses the needs of formerly incarcerated individuals returning home and committed to successful reentry through individualized case management and referrals, regular reentry councils, mentorship and integration with other program offerings.

READ ABOUT THE PROGRAM

council reentry program_beyond us and them-sam_and family

system-impacted individuals and families

The repercussions of violence and incarceration are experienced not just by directly-involved individuals, but by entire communities. System-impacted families are experiencing immense trauma, stress, and uncertainty. The council practice is a powerful tool to engage families and create patterns for healthy communication, genuine understanding, connection, and healing.

To learn more about the power of family council circles, read Sam’s story, or participate in a Social Connection Council.

Leaving Prison Behind: A Council Before I Go

Leaving Prison Behind... is a beautiful and powerful illustrated novella that was created to be a resource for individuals facing the challenges of incarceration, rehabilitation and the path to freedom. It weaves the words, stories and insights of system-impacted individuals and those who support them and offers a resource section to support those on the journey of reentry.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Leaving prison behind book_jared seide_beyond us and them

what participants have to say about our programs:

“The inmates are now looking at each other as individuals, they're able to meet themselves and understand that we all are human, we all have issues, and that's made for a lot safer environment both for our inmates and our staff. They're learning to listen without judgment, they're learning empathy, and that's huge.”

Theresa Cisneros, Chief Deputy Warden, Avenal State Prison

"What I found with this was something totally unexpected. I started to recognize a need for a change in me, a need to give back. I wasn't seeing people as who they were, I was only thinking of me, what can they do for me... and that way of thinking got me to prison. I thought, what can I do to change that? I've been taking, taking, taking... how do I flip that? What council has helped me to see is that I can give back, that I have something valuable to offer that I didn't realize I had."

Joseph, Inmate Council Program Participant at Avenal State Prison

"Literally, within the first day, four of these big old tough guys were in tears, sharing their heart ... it was an amazing thing to see ... I track their 'disciplinaries' and ... I've seen a huge transformation and I can truly tell you that these guys, they have been successful, they are staying out of trouble, and they are opening their eyes to new ways of thinking ... I've been very impressed. I'm so happy the program is here and we're proud to have it."

Carey Ochs, Community Resource Manager, Ironwood State Prison

benefits of our programs in prisons

Physical aggression

Verbal aggression

PTSD symptomatology

Anger

Hostility

Social connectedness

Resilience

Perspective-taking

Mindfulness

Researchers affiliated with UCLA and RAND Corporation found that our Council for Insight, Compassion & Resilience program for incarcerated participants demonstrated significant positive change in socio-cognitive functioning.

It revealed pronounced reductions in physical and verbal aggression and PTSD symptomatology, as well as marked increases in social connectedness, mindfulness, perspective-taking, and resilience.

Interested in our prison or rentry programs?

If you'd like to find out more about bringing our Council for Insight, Compassion & Resilience program or Council Reentry Program to your prison, please contact our team to discuss.

supported projects

REDUCING RECIDIVISM ACROSS LA

los angeles reentry collaborative

The Los Angeles Reentry Collaborative is an initiative launched and hosted by Beyond Us & Them that weaves a network of organizations and individuals providing services to the formerly incarcerated community with the intention of supporting successful reentry and reintegration and reducing recidivism in Central and South Los Angeles.

DISCOVER THEIR WORK