Insight Prison Project

Beyond our direct clients, this work positively impacts family members, prison administrators, other prisoners, and our communities. Participants, particularly those who are parents, report significant improvement in family relationships; And family members of both prisoners and victims report that they have seen nothing offer more healing or transformation. Prison staff report significantly reduced institutional violence and increased overall safety. After completing VOEG, many inmates go on to mentor other incarcerated people, even creating new programs within prisons (a groundbreaking LGBT educational prison group was just implemented). In growing numbers, former offenders who are now outside of the prison walls are applying the skills they learned to not simply surviving, but thriving. IPP benefits directly from this, as dozens have joined us as volunteers upon release. For our communities, this offers increased public safety, which is greatly enhanced when formerly violent people are healed and given tools for successfully navigating life outside of prison. The reduction in recidivism also saves tax­ payers millions (every CA prisoner costs the state over $60K per year). Our ability to replicate is limited only by funding. Because of our strong reputation, we receive regular requests from prison administrators, inmates, and crime survivors to expand. With each new group started, we must begin by providing the lengthy VOEG facilitator training. We train not only outside volunteer practitioners, but also incarcerated people, who have previously completed VOEG as a participant and demonstrated much growth and leadership, to be peer facilitators. Each VOEG group includes 1­2 outside volunteer facilitators, as well as 1­2 peer facilitators. All facilitators need direct support, including supervision and site visits from staff therapists; This is already built into IPP’s current infrastructure. This replication model has proven successful, allowing us to grow from one class of 14 men at San Quentin in 1997 to serving thousands of people in 3 states today. But there is still a waiting list. At San Quentin alone, the wait is more than 4 years. With funding, we can train 100 people in two years, enabling us a chance to meet the demand for services. Ultimately, 100 new facilitators will allow us to serve an additional 800­1200 people every year.